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Secret rule of academic writings: if the author uses a silly or amusing example, it means she is talking down to her critic.
Case in point: snookums.
"[Devotional and affectional terms] are used to indicate the object of certain affections and loyalties. In this latter case the meaning of the word is what elicits, or should rightfully elicit, these reactions of love and devotion.... [T]he word stands for what elicits a certain attitude. When I call an object 'Beloved,' it may be a person, a home or a land. When I call an object 'snookums' it may be a child or a puppy or a bird."* p402
The fact that I'm laughing now? Just means that out there, the ghost of a critic is writhing once more in discomfort as I find his ideas laughable.
*Henry Nelson Wieman "On Using the Word 'God': A Reply" The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 30 No. 15 (July 1933) p. 399. (From JSTOR. or ATLA. Not sure.)
Case in point: snookums.
"[Devotional and affectional terms] are used to indicate the object of certain affections and loyalties. In this latter case the meaning of the word is what elicits, or should rightfully elicit, these reactions of love and devotion.... [T]he word stands for what elicits a certain attitude. When I call an object 'Beloved,' it may be a person, a home or a land. When I call an object 'snookums' it may be a child or a puppy or a bird."* p402
The fact that I'm laughing now? Just means that out there, the ghost of a critic is writhing once more in discomfort as I find his ideas laughable.
*Henry Nelson Wieman "On Using the Word 'God': A Reply" The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 30 No. 15 (July 1933) p. 399. (From JSTOR. or ATLA. Not sure.)
Charles Hartshorne and TimeHeart
May. 15th, 2010 08:18 pmDiane Duane's Young Wizards series has some really interesting theology attached to it, and I hold Duane responsible for some of my early development of a social consciousness and commitment to not being afraid to change.
One of the more interesting bits, introduced in So You Want to Be Wizard and referenced (and sometimes portrayed directly) is the concept of Timeheart, a sort of heaven analog:
So You Want to Be a WIzard p42 "[Nita] read about Timeheart, the unreal and eternal realm where the places and things people remember affectionately are preserved as they remember them, forever."
This sound seriously like something I just read in Charles Hartshorne's Reality as Social Process about the memory of God.
"The value [ of the lives of people who died young in war] does not even depend necessarily upon "immortality" in the conventional sense. It depends rather upon this, that all the beauty of their past experience, all the delights and shades of feeling, none exactly duplicating those of any other child or youth, are added once for all to the store-house of beauties which is the divine memory, wherein all that we are is destined, in spite of our faults, to be imperishably loved by the cosmically social being, the one whose zest for the varieties of life is inexhaustible, and from whose consciousness nothing can die away and be lost." p42
*blinks* Holy crap, the page numbers match up.
Seriously, am I the only one who saw this??
One of the more interesting bits, introduced in So You Want to Be Wizard and referenced (and sometimes portrayed directly) is the concept of Timeheart, a sort of heaven analog:
So You Want to Be a WIzard p42 "[Nita] read about Timeheart, the unreal and eternal realm where the places and things people remember affectionately are preserved as they remember them, forever."
This sound seriously like something I just read in Charles Hartshorne's Reality as Social Process about the memory of God.
"The value [ of the lives of people who died young in war] does not even depend necessarily upon "immortality" in the conventional sense. It depends rather upon this, that all the beauty of their past experience, all the delights and shades of feeling, none exactly duplicating those of any other child or youth, are added once for all to the store-house of beauties which is the divine memory, wherein all that we are is destined, in spite of our faults, to be imperishably loved by the cosmically social being, the one whose zest for the varieties of life is inexhaustible, and from whose consciousness nothing can die away and be lost." p42
*blinks* Holy crap, the page numbers match up.
Seriously, am I the only one who saw this??
(no subject)
May. 11th, 2010 07:44 amI have been up since six of my own volition, getting things done, and I just... feel remarkably well, ya know? Like I got enough sleep and there's nothing in the world that's big and scary, just large and slightly unwieldy but manageable.
I need to wake up like this more often.
In slightly more prosaic news, I made a random mishmosh of food that turned out very tasty last night for dinner.
I need to wake up like this more often.
In slightly more prosaic news, I made a random mishmosh of food that turned out very tasty last night for dinner.
A Little Late, but Heartfelt
May. 10th, 2010 12:11 pmMy siblings and I are all equally convinced we are each my mother's favorite child.
Think about that for a moment- the woman didn't just aim for not having an obvious favorite: she managed to snow each of us into thinking that we are each her favorite child.
Of course, it's really me, but I don't bug the sister and brother much about that.
Currently, I am the farthest from home, so I tend to think of myself as being the most missed child. Which means I have to work to secure my position from afar- which means that my Mother's Day present had to be pretty awesome. So, I got her a string of "floating pearls"- they're on series of clear lines that fade into the background so that the tiny irregular pearls look suspended around your neck by nothing-in-particular. And apparently I hit suck-up gold, because she likes the style a lot and thinks it's the nicest present that any of her children have ever gotten for her.
Noticed how I cunningly made this post about myself? :D
Be nice to your mom*, because she* loves you, and she's* worth it.
* Footnote: Your mom, or your stepmom, or your a close motherly figure of any gender variation, because it's not about who they are to the world, it's about who they are to you.
Think about that for a moment- the woman didn't just aim for not having an obvious favorite: she managed to snow each of us into thinking that we are each her favorite child.
Of course, it's really me, but I don't bug the sister and brother much about that.
Currently, I am the farthest from home, so I tend to think of myself as being the most missed child. Which means I have to work to secure my position from afar- which means that my Mother's Day present had to be pretty awesome. So, I got her a string of "floating pearls"- they're on series of clear lines that fade into the background so that the tiny irregular pearls look suspended around your neck by nothing-in-particular. And apparently I hit suck-up gold, because she likes the style a lot and thinks it's the nicest present that any of her children have ever gotten for her.
Noticed how I cunningly made this post about myself? :D
Be nice to your mom*, because she* loves you, and she's* worth it.
* Footnote: Your mom, or your stepmom, or your a close motherly figure of any gender variation, because it's not about who they are to the world, it's about who they are to you.
EDIT: did one of those "typing while thinking of something else" word substitutions. Fixed it.
Currently Reading:
The Divine Relativity by Charles Hartshorne - Philosophical and theological treatise. Main premise is that the medieval evaluation of God as absolute and uneffected by creation are off- God is "supremely relative" and takes into Himself* relation to all things in existence and is changed by them. So far, the best argument that Hartshorne has made (which is repeated in Schubert Ogden's work, which I read first) is that God's omniscience rules out his being nonrelative. To know absolutely what actually exists means that the knowledge is different than if the existing things were something else. If God knows that X exists, that changes God's knowledge to be something different than if Y existed in the place of X. The main reason I am reading this is to expose myself to more process theology- it has a really convoluted logic to it, but it seems to preserve God's absolute goodness at the expense of omnipotence, and I'm more willing to explore the idea of a "weaker" God than a God that is arbitrary or fickle.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JKR- I suppose I am technically still reading this, but I personally wonder if I will ever finish it. It just doesn't really move me.
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin. A murder mystery set in Istanbul in the late days of the Ottoman Empire. The eunuch Yashim is called to investigate the murder of a young lady of the sultan's harem and the disappearance (and presumed murders) of several members of the New Guard, an elite corps in the modern European style, now facing their review. It's an intriguing read, and I honestly have no idea where it will lead.
The Mysterious Affairs at Styles by Agatha Christie. I watched last night an episode of Doctor Who which featured Agatha Christie, and I imagine that it was as full of puns, references, and jokes as the episode featuring Shakespeare. The problem: I've never read an Agatha Christie mystery, and I didn't catch onto anything outside the general marks of the mystery genre. I know some of the characters from BBC productions, but I don't really know anything about her novels as such. I have started reading this one, and the sheer overuse of the term "jolly" and the massive info-dump at the beginning struck me as a kind of amateurish, but I think I should probably read a few of her books as a cultural experience, if nothing else. God knows she wrote enough of them- I'll be able to find at least some of them interesting.
In other news, my personal life has gotten interesting in ways that I am not quite ready to discuss publicly.
Currently Reading:
The Divine Relativity by Charles Hartshorne - Philosophical and theological treatise. Main premise is that the medieval evaluation of God as absolute and uneffected by creation are off- God is "supremely relative" and takes into Himself* relation to all things in existence and is changed by them. So far, the best argument that Hartshorne has made (which is repeated in Schubert Ogden's work, which I read first) is that God's omniscience rules out his being nonrelative. To know absolutely what actually exists means that the knowledge is different than if the existing things were something else. If God knows that X exists, that changes God's knowledge to be something different than if Y existed in the place of X. The main reason I am reading this is to expose myself to more process theology- it has a really convoluted logic to it, but it seems to preserve God's absolute goodness at the expense of omnipotence, and I'm more willing to explore the idea of a "weaker" God than a God that is arbitrary or fickle.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JKR- I suppose I am technically still reading this, but I personally wonder if I will ever finish it. It just doesn't really move me.
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin. A murder mystery set in Istanbul in the late days of the Ottoman Empire. The eunuch Yashim is called to investigate the murder of a young lady of the sultan's harem and the disappearance (and presumed murders) of several members of the New Guard, an elite corps in the modern European style, now facing their review. It's an intriguing read, and I honestly have no idea where it will lead.
The Mysterious Affairs at Styles by Agatha Christie. I watched last night an episode of Doctor Who which featured Agatha Christie, and I imagine that it was as full of puns, references, and jokes as the episode featuring Shakespeare. The problem: I've never read an Agatha Christie mystery, and I didn't catch onto anything outside the general marks of the mystery genre. I know some of the characters from BBC productions, but I don't really know anything about her novels as such. I have started reading this one, and the sheer overuse of the term "jolly" and the massive info-dump at the beginning struck me as a kind of amateurish, but I think I should probably read a few of her books as a cultural experience, if nothing else. God knows she wrote enough of them- I'll be able to find at least some of them interesting.
In other news, my personal life has gotten interesting in ways that I am not quite ready to discuss publicly.
ETA: Corrected the mistaken episode number and added a note on just what I'm spoiling
Spoilers: Thru episode 521, but mostly just random thoughts about the portrayal of the Horsemen.
( Here lie spoilers and thinky-thoughts )
Spoilers: Thru episode 521, but mostly just random thoughts about the portrayal of the Horsemen.
( Here lie spoilers and thinky-thoughts )
Life got a little bit hectic on me this week, mostly due to my own stress levels at realizing that we only have about a month left till the end of the quarter, and there is a lot to get done. But, things are looking good, and I have a lot of stuff that I can start to work on now/this weekend and things don't have to be a giant crush of leaving things to the end.
Of course, it will feel like they are, but that will just be an illusion. Notice the smoke and mirrors!
I've been on my period since Sunday, which might have something to do with my stress levels. My current birth control situation leads to my period happening the week after my roommates, which means I get her hormones piled on top of my hormones. Sometimes I don't notice, but this week it seemed to lead to some sleep issues, caffeine needs, which lead to stomach issues, which lead to stress. But, last night I hung out with my boy, the anti-stressor, and got to sleep in a little this morning after he left, and things are looking up a bit. At least, I don't feel like I have to run right out of the house to get things done.
Of course, it will feel like they are, but that will just be an illusion. Notice the smoke and mirrors!
I've been on my period since Sunday, which might have something to do with my stress levels. My current birth control situation leads to my period happening the week after my roommates, which means I get her hormones piled on top of my hormones. Sometimes I don't notice, but this week it seemed to lead to some sleep issues, caffeine needs, which lead to stomach issues, which lead to stress. But, last night I hung out with my boy, the anti-stressor, and got to sleep in a little this morning after he left, and things are looking up a bit. At least, I don't feel like I have to run right out of the house to get things done.
I'm still receiving emails with every new post from Diana Gabaldon's blog here , and I am finding that I keep getting caught up in terminology.
When Ms. Gabaldon used the term, "fan-fiction" in the title of her post, I made the immediate assumption that she didn't know what she was talking about, because "fan-fiction" is a really uncommon formulation of the term.*
The spelling "fan-fiction" got picked up by Ms. Gabaldon's immediate supporters, a number of whom admitted that they had never heard of the term before and were unaware of the concept. Thus, in the course of this conversation, "fan-fiction" has become associated with the perspective of an outside to the fannish community looking in. I perceive "fan-fiction" negatively, at least in the context of this conversation, as holding connotations of mis- or poorly -informed opinions. I believe this has somewhat shaped the way I read the discussion of anyone who uses the term "fan-fiction."
I consider the correct term* to be "fanfiction", one word without spaces or hyphens, and "fanfic" to be an equally appropriate term with exactly the same meaning. In fannish contexts, I consider "fic" to be another interchangeable term for "fanfiction" or "fiction," depending on the context of thw writer to add the appropriate prefix of "litfic," "profic," or "fanfic" to clarify if the point is unclear.
To corroborate my views, I looked at the Fanlore wiki, and I discovered that this issue was under more contention than I'd thought- while my views reflect usage in fandom, academia has difference usages, and "fan fiction" is considered the correct term in academic circles. But, when I looked at the comments to the discussion on Ms. Gabaldon's blog, while I saw "fan fiction," I thought that it was odd and possibly as outsider-ish a term as "fan-fiction." However, the contents of the posts using "fan fiction" suggested that it was an accepted term in fandom- many of those using "fan fiction" wrote as members of the fandom community.
So, what do you think?
*From my own experience as a fandom lurker dating to 2000 or so.
When Ms. Gabaldon used the term, "fan-fiction" in the title of her post, I made the immediate assumption that she didn't know what she was talking about, because "fan-fiction" is a really uncommon formulation of the term.*
The spelling "fan-fiction" got picked up by Ms. Gabaldon's immediate supporters, a number of whom admitted that they had never heard of the term before and were unaware of the concept. Thus, in the course of this conversation, "fan-fiction" has become associated with the perspective of an outside to the fannish community looking in. I perceive "fan-fiction" negatively, at least in the context of this conversation, as holding connotations of mis- or poorly -informed opinions. I believe this has somewhat shaped the way I read the discussion of anyone who uses the term "fan-fiction."
I consider the correct term* to be "fanfiction", one word without spaces or hyphens, and "fanfic" to be an equally appropriate term with exactly the same meaning. In fannish contexts, I consider "fic" to be another interchangeable term for "fanfiction" or "fiction," depending on the context of thw writer to add the appropriate prefix of "litfic," "profic," or "fanfic" to clarify if the point is unclear.
To corroborate my views, I looked at the Fanlore wiki, and I discovered that this issue was under more contention than I'd thought- while my views reflect usage in fandom, academia has difference usages, and "fan fiction" is considered the correct term in academic circles. But, when I looked at the comments to the discussion on Ms. Gabaldon's blog, while I saw "fan fiction," I thought that it was odd and possibly as outsider-ish a term as "fan-fiction." However, the contents of the posts using "fan fiction" suggested that it was an accepted term in fandom- many of those using "fan fiction" wrote as members of the fandom community.
So, what do you think?
*From my own experience as a fandom lurker dating to 2000 or so.
And I am a little less proud of this post, but I would be biasing you if I didn't post it as well
from https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?postID=8735561816098497516&blogID=2861575260847050598&isPopup=false&page=2
( the second post )
from https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?postID=8735561816098497516&blogID=2861575260847050598&isPopup=false&page=2
( the second post )
Client test, and a post about pretties!
May. 3rd, 2010 07:27 pmTesting, testing. This is my first week with iJournal, which is a poor shadow of my favored xJournal, but as xJournal does not support DW, I have to try something else.
I FINALLY got a set of beads that I purchased from Etsy several weeks ago (okay, they were really actually pretty fast in shipping, but I wanted my new shiny objects NOW NOW NOW). They are lovely and I intend to make some very nice necklaces out of them with the help of a friend.
I FINALLY got a set of beads that I purchased from Etsy several weeks ago (okay, they were really actually pretty fast in shipping, but I wanted my new shiny objects NOW NOW NOW). They are lovely and I intend to make some very nice necklaces out of them with the help of a friend.
Apocalypos of LJ posted here about a post Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander and other novels, made in her blog, Fan-Fiction [sic] and Moral Conundrums
Ms. Gabaldon begins inauspiciously:
"OK, my position on fan-fic is pretty clear: I think it’s immoral, I _know_ it’s illegal, and it makes me want to barf whenever I’ve inadvertently encountered some of it involving my characters." The rest of the post is in a similar vein- read it if you have the time.
I replied with this post: (When I started writing, there were 83 responses. When I posted, there were 96. There are now 116 posts and growing)
( My response )
Needless to say, I think Ms. Gabaldon is within her rights as an author and creator to ask for no fanfiction of her work, but I don't agree with her characterization of fic authors.
If you feel moved to comment, please be respectful in tone if not in mind.
Ms. Gabaldon begins inauspiciously:
"OK, my position on fan-fic is pretty clear: I think it’s immoral, I _know_ it’s illegal, and it makes me want to barf whenever I’ve inadvertently encountered some of it involving my characters." The rest of the post is in a similar vein- read it if you have the time.
I replied with this post: (When I started writing, there were 83 responses. When I posted, there were 96. There are now 116 posts and growing)
( My response )
Needless to say, I think Ms. Gabaldon is within her rights as an author and creator to ask for no fanfiction of her work, but I don't agree with her characterization of fic authors.
If you feel moved to comment, please be respectful in tone if not in mind.
(no subject)
May. 2nd, 2010 09:00 pmWatching DOCTOR WHO episode, "Time of Angels", I had a brilliant fannish thought. Or, a sick demented fanish thought, but I'm hoping it was one of the good ones.
River Song= River Tam + one (ended) marriage
Think about it. Think about the possibility for crossovers. Just... let it percolate. And then write me some fic, you crazy brilliant wacko.
River Song= River Tam + one (ended) marriage
Think about it. Think about the possibility for crossovers. Just... let it percolate. And then write me some fic, you crazy brilliant wacko.
Unintended Consequences
May. 1st, 2010 10:43 amRemember me writing about going shopping with The Boy kitewithfish.dreamwidth.org/344994.html, and bought a summer dress? It turns out he was running a long game in going shopping with me.
Yesterday, it's finally warm enough to wear a summer-weight dress and not get frostbite. I put on the New!Dress
Kite: Dress, you are very short!
Dress: indeed I am! I fall only to mid-thigh on you. In fact, I am really a long tunic-top for a rather tall lady, but I am just a short dress on you.
Kite: I did not realize this. Boy, did you realize this?
Boy: Yup. *Ogles my legs.*
Kite: Boy, did you purposefully steer me towards a short dress so that you could perve on my legs?
Boy: Yup! My cunning plot, it is fulfilled! But it's a very pretty short dress, nevertheless.
Kite: Yes. I know. It is a very pretty short dress, as the man leaning out of his car window informed me this morning. At high volume.
Boy: I applaud his taste!
In conclusion, I apparently have nicer legs than I thought, and I will be sharing them with the world today.
Yesterday, it's finally warm enough to wear a summer-weight dress and not get frostbite. I put on the New!Dress
Kite: Dress, you are very short!
Dress: indeed I am! I fall only to mid-thigh on you. In fact, I am really a long tunic-top for a rather tall lady, but I am just a short dress on you.
Kite: I did not realize this. Boy, did you realize this?
Boy: Yup. *Ogles my legs.*
Kite: Boy, did you purposefully steer me towards a short dress so that you could perve on my legs?
Boy: Yup! My cunning plot, it is fulfilled! But it's a very pretty short dress, nevertheless.
Kite: Yes. I know. It is a very pretty short dress, as the man leaning out of his car window informed me this morning. At high volume.
Boy: I applaud his taste!
In conclusion, I apparently have nicer legs than I thought, and I will be sharing them with the world today.
Rewatching 5.20- "The Devil You Know." First part, running commentary- second part, my thoughts on the episode as a whole.
( Running Commentary: Spoilers, ho! )
In keeping with Three Weeks of Dreamwidth, I will not be posting this to my lj kitewithfish account.
( Running Commentary: Spoilers, ho! )
Total bitch count: 1
In keeping with Three Weeks of Dreamwidth, I will not be posting this to my lj kitewithfish account.
A daunting task
Apr. 30th, 2010 09:54 amSince I figured out how to cross-post from DW to LJ, I'm sort of attempting to move all of my life to DreadWidth (more for philosophical reasons- the fact that they gave PayPal the boot rather than compromise their agreement with users about content is incredibly good press to me), but I'm kind of faced with the sheer volume of stuff that I have on LJ that I like being able to access easily and can only really do so by means of my Friends list there. It's not a whole lot of fun, really.
So I think I'm going to start moving more of my feeds from LJ to DW, at least for the communities and personal lj's that are public and who don't have me within a slightly more privileged filter, but it's going to take some time to get all that put together correctly. Ah, well.
In any case, Kitewithfish at Dreamwidth is likely going to include far less filtering about my life and interests than LJ- but I think that I will probably continue my now longstanding tradition of keeping my mother as much in the dark about fandom as possible.
So I think I'm going to start moving more of my feeds from LJ to DW, at least for the communities and personal lj's that are public and who don't have me within a slightly more privileged filter, but it's going to take some time to get all that put together correctly. Ah, well.
In any case, Kitewithfish at Dreamwidth is likely going to include far less filtering about my life and interests than LJ- but I think that I will probably continue my now longstanding tradition of keeping my mother as much in the dark about fandom as possible.
My Body is Awesome!
Apr. 26th, 2010 06:08 pmI have hereby decided that the world needs to know a number of things that are simply fucking awesome about my body.
1. Whack-A-Mole- - I am one of the most moley people you will ever meet. If I've got a body part, it's got a mole. If they come in sets of two, at least one has a delightful little mark that says, "Look at me! I'm different! HAHAHA!" Some of them grow little hairs that need plucking, but this is part of Having Moles, and it is not that bad.
2. Iron Fist! - My hands are very square and I have very short fingers (toes, too.) The only person I've ever met with shorter hands was an Asian woman several inches shorter than me- I have bitty little hands. They are really strong and great for detail work- years of needlework later, I can still do small, focused work with my hands that it takes other several tries to get done. And look! I'm typing!
3. Travel-sized! I am five feet and one and one quarter inches tall. Yes, I do include the quarter, because it's mine, dammit! I fit into airline seats with room to spare (lengthwise. No one fits comfortably widthwise)! I never have high-water pants, they are always just a little bit too long! I have learned tricks to deal with tall things in high shelves, and this is the real reason why I always will own a ladle- they are perfect for scooping down tall things.
4. Hark! My ears are fucking adorable. Like, whoa, tiny, pink, squishy plump little delicacies perfect for nibbling. And they have a good number of holes in them now for pretty objects. Yay for ears!
5. Flexy! I am very bendy for someone who rarely does stretching exercises. I can touch my palms to the ground without bending my knees! And my joints never hurt except when I have the flu.
6. Cute nose! To be honest, I am working on this. I did not like my nose. I thought it was too wide for my face. But! I have decided that my nose is actually pretty awesome! I put an extra hole in it for pretty things, and it did not complain! It keeps my glasses up! It lets me smell delicious foods that would otherwise be less than fully appreciated! Truly, my nose is a marvel.
1. Whack-A-Mole- - I am one of the most moley people you will ever meet. If I've got a body part, it's got a mole. If they come in sets of two, at least one has a delightful little mark that says, "Look at me! I'm different! HAHAHA!" Some of them grow little hairs that need plucking, but this is part of Having Moles, and it is not that bad.
2. Iron Fist! - My hands are very square and I have very short fingers (toes, too.) The only person I've ever met with shorter hands was an Asian woman several inches shorter than me- I have bitty little hands. They are really strong and great for detail work- years of needlework later, I can still do small, focused work with my hands that it takes other several tries to get done. And look! I'm typing!
3. Travel-sized! I am five feet and one and one quarter inches tall. Yes, I do include the quarter, because it's mine, dammit! I fit into airline seats with room to spare (lengthwise. No one fits comfortably widthwise)! I never have high-water pants, they are always just a little bit too long! I have learned tricks to deal with tall things in high shelves, and this is the real reason why I always will own a ladle- they are perfect for scooping down tall things.
4. Hark! My ears are fucking adorable. Like, whoa, tiny, pink, squishy plump little delicacies perfect for nibbling. And they have a good number of holes in them now for pretty objects. Yay for ears!
5. Flexy! I am very bendy for someone who rarely does stretching exercises. I can touch my palms to the ground without bending my knees! And my joints never hurt except when I have the flu.
6. Cute nose! To be honest, I am working on this. I did not like my nose. I thought it was too wide for my face. But! I have decided that my nose is actually pretty awesome! I put an extra hole in it for pretty things, and it did not complain! It keeps my glasses up! It lets me smell delicious foods that would otherwise be less than fully appreciated! Truly, my nose is a marvel.
To keep my mind off of my schoolwork and on the loveliness of my life, I have taken up some projects.
The Garden:
My family home had a large yard with a patch that had been turned into a garden. Part of that was some weird staple-like structures that my mother convinced wisteria to climb, but the other part was a small veggie garden. Though not very productive, the garden did produce enough small tomatoes to make me addicted, and made me really like gardening.
I'm in an apartment, so I don't really have enough space for a proper garden (and I've missed the chance to get in on the communal gardening area's alotment for the rest of the year), so I'm going with a small selection of herbs to aid in my new foodie-focused home cooking. I have:
Mint!- this is an actual plant in an actual pot that I purchased cause I knew that I would be ripping leaves off this sucker inside of a day. It's making water tasting that much better, and there is some serious planning going on in my mind about drying some leaves to make tea.
Rosemary!- I am addicted to rosemary, and it's even better when it's fresh. The little plant is zooming happily upwards in its own pot.
Peas!- These are actual seeds, and the first and most vigorous to have sprouted so far. I am planning on putting them in their own pot and trailing them across the railing outside to make them grow upright. I love fresh peas, even if it takes forever to grow them.
Chamomile!- I have hopes for tea, here. And I also wanted something that would flower, since the rest of the garden is herbs.
Herbs!- Dill, cilantro, parsley, and chives. All things that I use and like, and all of them fairly green and leafy. There is no space left on the windowsill of my kitchen, and that's how I like.
The Jewelry:
I have lately been feeling that I don't have enough variety in necklaces- I have a fair number of pendants and a very versatile string of peals, but I don't have enough in the way of colorful beaded necklaces. I have a friend who makes necklaces and her stuff is lovely, but her aunt prices things and this makes it rather expensive to consider. So, I bought myself some stone beads off an etsy vendor and I am resolved to try and Make Things with them. I already have some ideas with regards to combinations, I just need to get some wire and stuff together. I love the fluidity one has when one makes jewelry- you can just take something apart and it's not ruined or lost- it's just in pieces that you can put back together again.
I've also got hopes for some matching earrings, and that would be fine indeed. The total cost of this project is probably going to end up around twice the price of one necklace from my friend, but I will hopefully end up with somewhere between six and eight necklaces and a few pairs of earrings, so I think that it's a good idea.
The Garden:
My family home had a large yard with a patch that had been turned into a garden. Part of that was some weird staple-like structures that my mother convinced wisteria to climb, but the other part was a small veggie garden. Though not very productive, the garden did produce enough small tomatoes to make me addicted, and made me really like gardening.
I'm in an apartment, so I don't really have enough space for a proper garden (and I've missed the chance to get in on the communal gardening area's alotment for the rest of the year), so I'm going with a small selection of herbs to aid in my new foodie-focused home cooking. I have:
Mint!- this is an actual plant in an actual pot that I purchased cause I knew that I would be ripping leaves off this sucker inside of a day. It's making water tasting that much better, and there is some serious planning going on in my mind about drying some leaves to make tea.
Rosemary!- I am addicted to rosemary, and it's even better when it's fresh. The little plant is zooming happily upwards in its own pot.
Peas!- These are actual seeds, and the first and most vigorous to have sprouted so far. I am planning on putting them in their own pot and trailing them across the railing outside to make them grow upright. I love fresh peas, even if it takes forever to grow them.
Chamomile!- I have hopes for tea, here. And I also wanted something that would flower, since the rest of the garden is herbs.
Herbs!- Dill, cilantro, parsley, and chives. All things that I use and like, and all of them fairly green and leafy. There is no space left on the windowsill of my kitchen, and that's how I like.
The Jewelry:
I have lately been feeling that I don't have enough variety in necklaces- I have a fair number of pendants and a very versatile string of peals, but I don't have enough in the way of colorful beaded necklaces. I have a friend who makes necklaces and her stuff is lovely, but her aunt prices things and this makes it rather expensive to consider. So, I bought myself some stone beads off an etsy vendor and I am resolved to try and Make Things with them. I already have some ideas with regards to combinations, I just need to get some wire and stuff together. I love the fluidity one has when one makes jewelry- you can just take something apart and it's not ruined or lost- it's just in pieces that you can put back together again.
I've also got hopes for some matching earrings, and that would be fine indeed. The total cost of this project is probably going to end up around twice the price of one necklace from my friend, but I will hopefully end up with somewhere between six and eight necklaces and a few pairs of earrings, so I think that it's a good idea.
Princes of Serendip
Apr. 18th, 2010 03:41 pmI ran into the Boy on the bus heading downtown yesterday, as I was going to check something out for my boss, and we ended up meandering about downtown for a good long while.
H&M with a male shopping buddy was interesting. He had opinions and was useful, and basically confirmed my general ideas of much of this year/season's fashions- 1) baggy does not look good on me. 2) sleeveless does not look good on me. 3) Belts save many an outfit. I ended up with a summer dress, a lightweight top that can be either fun or office-y, and a nice wide belt that serves to make shapeless garments much more fun.
After H&M and all the walking I kind of needed to collapse, which we did over at his place goofing off with Trivial Pursuit ( I won twice, which makes it the kind of game I want to play more often.) I bought some stone beads off Etsy which I plan to turn into a set of necklaces, as I do not have enough decent jewelry (or enough decent costume jewelry) to work with.
H&M with a male shopping buddy was interesting. He had opinions and was useful, and basically confirmed my general ideas of much of this year/season's fashions- 1) baggy does not look good on me. 2) sleeveless does not look good on me. 3) Belts save many an outfit. I ended up with a summer dress, a lightweight top that can be either fun or office-y, and a nice wide belt that serves to make shapeless garments much more fun.
After H&M and all the walking I kind of needed to collapse, which we did over at his place goofing off with Trivial Pursuit ( I won twice, which makes it the kind of game I want to play more often.) I bought some stone beads off Etsy which I plan to turn into a set of necklaces, as I do not have enough decent jewelry (or enough decent costume jewelry) to work with.
