2026 Photo #12
Jun. 13th, 2026 03:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbitGloucestershire Bundles is the charity I volunteer with. Recently we had a tea to thank all the volunteers.
smallhobbit
The Friday Five: Random Letters, Random Questions
Jun. 12th, 2026 05:03 pmsmallhobbitQuestions from this week's ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thefridayfive
1. What is place you have visited, or want to visit, that starts with D?
Dresden - was there about 6 weeks ago
2. What is a food that you like, or don't like, that starts with R?
Raspberries, which are my favourite fruit. And rice pudding.
3. Own anything that starts with the letter M?
Mugs, several, plus fridge Magnets.
4. Know anyone whose name (first, middle, or last) that starts with N?
I know Natalie, Norah and Noah
5. Favourite movie, book, TV show, or song whose title starts with T?
Books: Their Finest by Lissa Evans and Thud! by Terry Pratchett
thefridayfive 1. What is place you have visited, or want to visit, that starts with D?
Dresden - was there about 6 weeks ago
2. What is a food that you like, or don't like, that starts with R?
Raspberries, which are my favourite fruit. And rice pudding.
3. Own anything that starts with the letter M?
Mugs, several, plus fridge Magnets.
4. Know anyone whose name (first, middle, or last) that starts with N?
I know Natalie, Norah and Noah
5. Favourite movie, book, TV show, or song whose title starts with T?
Books: Their Finest by Lissa Evans and Thud! by Terry Pratchett
aspirations, wrapped up in books
Jun. 11th, 2026 08:34 pmrugessnomea reading questionnaire nicked from phantomtomato
This week I'm reading: finished Mayhem & Mass, a cozy mystery; started ... She Who Became the Sun and As You Like it and uh... there's also a mystery audiobook I fell asleep during... I think I ostensibly have 11 in progress books right now on Storygraph. Why am I like this!
My favourite book of all time is: ...I have no idea
My current favourite book (read or re-read in the last 3 months): uhm... The Widows of Malabar Hill and Maisie Dobbs both left significant impressions; and I was reminded on reread of how I like/how formative both Fforde's Nursery Crime and the first 4-5 Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer) books were for me.
The last book I bought was: ...an armful of Very Cheap! library book sale nonfiction (sub $10 for the armful!), including a few textbooks (analytical chem, cellular biology, ~rhetoric), a few quilt books, something about electrical transmission, and a gardening/cooking squash book... I have an issue with book acquisition...
The first book I bought with my own money: I don't know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I suppose that one memorable childhood purchase might be The Westing Game, although there's one or two bits I wish were not embedded in my brain (not traumatic, just Weirdness about eg women's bodies).
Also I was privileged enough that I got to be part of a couple of Scholastic Book Fair historical fiction diary subscriptions that came with crafty kits for a bit... Including an intro to rosewater, and a very basic version of something that I think persists in one (dormant) facet of my taste in jewelry...
The first book I received as a gift: That was probably pre-memory, as I'd bet I got Christmas or birthday books as a wee thing? The most memorable early such is probably the set of Nancy Drew books, Nos. 46-50 (The Invisible Intruder, The Mysterious Mannequin, The Crooked Banister, The Secret of Mirror Bay, and The Double Jinx Mystery) that were probably more or less a 9th birthday present. Crooked Banister is probably particularly memorable to me :)
The last book I received as a gift was: ...well there was the now customary Taste of Home annual (I forget whether it's numbered '25 or '26) at Christmas, from my aunt.
The last book I borrowed from the library: ...another armful, mixed cozies and sff, including The Tombs of Atuan and the sequel to Mayhem and Mass
The book physically closest to me right now: well, there's Murdle: School of Mystery, and The Secret of Red Gate Farm which I mean to reread before probably donating to a little free library or similar...and there's the Rancho Gordo Bean Book...
Do you read bookfic, and if so what is your favourite bookshop fic? um, well, I don't avoid it but I don't consider myself well-informed in the subgenre, and other than one or two incidentally bookshop ...involved fics, I don't particularly remember any.
(one is not necessarily a general rec because it happened to be kinky, and on second thought the other doesn't especially involve Aziraphale's shop... plus, well... *gestures at the authors on my copy of the book* ...and I think I have somewhat more conflicted thoughts about that fic, which is a sequel.)
Physical book or e-book: either for different purposes? there are advantages (...and disadvantages) to a physical copy for anything I am referencing, but then it's a lot easier to carry an ebook reader...
Used or new: it's not that I dislike new books but I am drawn to the thrift and eco-friendliness of used books, plus anything slightly obscure and out of print is apt to be used... When possible I will get fiction from the library 80-90% of the time, but I like to buy craft and cookbooks, and instructional books, and...
Fiction or non-fiction: I don't know! until recently I felt like I was in a phase of reading closer to 50/50 of each. but fiction does tend to supply more low-demand books? and so effectively it's usually a majority of my reading by number of books. And often by pages, but that may sometimes be less dramatic.
Read at a coffee shop or at the park: ...I'm technically more likely to read at the park, but it can be difficult to achieve a good scenario? I have never really gotten in the habit of hanging out at coffee shops for longer than it takes to finish any food I've bought. (I'm also bad at reading at the library, because of the allure of all their other books!)
Paperback or hardcover: There are cases where I do appreciate hardcover but in a lot of cases I do find advantages to paperback (lighter, for one, and not apt to have an annoyingly flappy slipcover... though if I could persuade myself, in theory I could remove those from my own copies... hmmm) I don't have strong preferences here, basically.
Romance or Crime: I suppose Crime here, although I'm not sure that my mystery reading qualifies as Crime-the-genre much of the time. I have been reading the occasional romance, but mostly queer ones, or occasionally relatively feminist het.
Stream of consciousness? ...sure
Poetry? now and again I'm in the mood.
...despite the fact that it's like, purportedly a more natural meter in English, the way that iambic meter sticks in my head bothers me way more than say, trochee's similar tendency ("any fairly practiced writer with the slightest ear for rhythm could compose for hours together in the easy running meter of the song of Hiawatha." ;) -Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll)
Memoirs? rarely. but sometimes.
Philosophy? ...sometimes. depends on the philosopher as to how often I feel like reading it.
Thrillers? occasionally. not necessarily my usual taste.
Chronicles? ...I don't know what this constitutes as a modern genre, tbh? I suppose that tells you that I don't really consume these. so ...more of a no, I guess? I mean, I did read Chronicles of Narnia as a kid.
Dialogue heavy? ...sure
and! I sorted out how to do this-- for any of your ask meme using-copy/pasting needs:
...and, today I ran what I worked out was probably 1.7 miles, in 25 minutes. (Yes, I'm relatively slow at running.) Saturday (when I will probably try to get to 2 miles despite the "25 minutes" instruction) and then two more weeks left of C25K...
phantomtomatoGeneral Questions
This week I'm reading: finished Mayhem & Mass, a cozy mystery; started ... She Who Became the Sun and As You Like it and uh... there's also a mystery audiobook I fell asleep during... I think I ostensibly have 11 in progress books right now on Storygraph. Why am I like this!
My favourite book of all time is: ...I have no idea
My current favourite book (read or re-read in the last 3 months): uhm... The Widows of Malabar Hill and Maisie Dobbs both left significant impressions; and I was reminded on reread of how I like/how formative both Fforde's Nursery Crime and the first 4-5 Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer) books were for me.
The last book I bought was: ...an armful of Very Cheap! library book sale nonfiction (sub $10 for the armful!), including a few textbooks (analytical chem, cellular biology, ~rhetoric), a few quilt books, something about electrical transmission, and a gardening/cooking squash book... I have an issue with book acquisition...
The first book I bought with my own money: I don't know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I suppose that one memorable childhood purchase might be The Westing Game, although there's one or two bits I wish were not embedded in my brain (not traumatic, just Weirdness about eg women's bodies).
Also I was privileged enough that I got to be part of a couple of Scholastic Book Fair historical fiction diary subscriptions that came with crafty kits for a bit... Including an intro to rosewater, and a very basic version of something that I think persists in one (dormant) facet of my taste in jewelry...
The first book I received as a gift: That was probably pre-memory, as I'd bet I got Christmas or birthday books as a wee thing? The most memorable early such is probably the set of Nancy Drew books, Nos. 46-50 (The Invisible Intruder, The Mysterious Mannequin, The Crooked Banister, The Secret of Mirror Bay, and The Double Jinx Mystery) that were probably more or less a 9th birthday present. Crooked Banister is probably particularly memorable to me :)
The last book I received as a gift was: ...well there was the now customary Taste of Home annual (I forget whether it's numbered '25 or '26) at Christmas, from my aunt.
The last book I borrowed from the library: ...another armful, mixed cozies and sff, including The Tombs of Atuan and the sequel to Mayhem and Mass
The book physically closest to me right now: well, there's Murdle: School of Mystery, and The Secret of Red Gate Farm which I mean to reread before probably donating to a little free library or similar...and there's the Rancho Gordo Bean Book...
Do you read bookfic, and if so what is your favourite bookshop fic? um, well, I don't avoid it but I don't consider myself well-informed in the subgenre, and other than one or two incidentally bookshop ...involved fics, I don't particularly remember any.
(one is not necessarily a general rec because it happened to be kinky, and on second thought the other doesn't especially involve Aziraphale's shop... plus, well... *gestures at the authors on my copy of the book* ...and I think I have somewhat more conflicted thoughts about that fic, which is a sequel.)
This or that
Physical book or e-book: either for different purposes? there are advantages (...and disadvantages) to a physical copy for anything I am referencing, but then it's a lot easier to carry an ebook reader...
Used or new: it's not that I dislike new books but I am drawn to the thrift and eco-friendliness of used books, plus anything slightly obscure and out of print is apt to be used... When possible I will get fiction from the library 80-90% of the time, but I like to buy craft and cookbooks, and instructional books, and...
Fiction or non-fiction: I don't know! until recently I felt like I was in a phase of reading closer to 50/50 of each. but fiction does tend to supply more low-demand books? and so effectively it's usually a majority of my reading by number of books. And often by pages, but that may sometimes be less dramatic.
Read at a coffee shop or at the park: ...I'm technically more likely to read at the park, but it can be difficult to achieve a good scenario? I have never really gotten in the habit of hanging out at coffee shops for longer than it takes to finish any food I've bought. (I'm also bad at reading at the library, because of the allure of all their other books!)
Paperback or hardcover: There are cases where I do appreciate hardcover but in a lot of cases I do find advantages to paperback (lighter, for one, and not apt to have an annoyingly flappy slipcover... though if I could persuade myself, in theory I could remove those from my own copies... hmmm) I don't have strong preferences here, basically.
Romance or Crime: I suppose Crime here, although I'm not sure that my mystery reading qualifies as Crime-the-genre much of the time. I have been reading the occasional romance, but mostly queer ones, or occasionally relatively feminist het.
Yes or no
Stream of consciousness? ...sure
Poetry? now and again I'm in the mood.
...despite the fact that it's like, purportedly a more natural meter in English, the way that iambic meter sticks in my head bothers me way more than say, trochee's similar tendency ("any fairly practiced writer with the slightest ear for rhythm could compose for hours together in the easy running meter of the song of Hiawatha." ;) -Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll)
Memoirs? rarely. but sometimes.
Philosophy? ...sometimes. depends on the philosopher as to how often I feel like reading it.
Thrillers? occasionally. not necessarily my usual taste.
Chronicles? ...I don't know what this constitutes as a modern genre, tbh? I suppose that tells you that I don't really consume these. so ...more of a no, I guess? I mean, I did read Chronicles of Narnia as a kid.
Dialogue heavy? ...sure
and! I sorted out how to do this-- for any of your ask meme using-copy/pasting needs:
...and, today I ran what I worked out was probably 1.7 miles, in 25 minutes. (Yes, I'm relatively slow at running.) Saturday (when I will probably try to get to 2 miles despite the "25 minutes" instruction) and then two more weeks left of C25K...
now-ish, tiramisu edition
Jun. 11th, 2026 11:39 pmgrrlpupCurrent drawing project is a blooming dogwood tree: entire tree, bough showing the lovely upward curves of the twigs, and individual blossom. I’m taking photos often because the likelihood I’ll wreck it at some point is high. The non-repro blue pencil sketch:
Today the weather in Portland is perfect– walking at noon wasn’t too warm, but the sun shone and the bees worked the roses and lavender. A selfie before setting out for the local Italian bakery.
Shortly after this I tripped on the sidewalk and had to come home to dress my road-rashed palms, but it wasn’t too bad and I prevailed, acquiring tiramisu.
Latest favorite podcast: You’ll Hear It, two jazz pianists appreciating and playing clips from their favorite albums, not all of them strictly jazz. Their enthusiasm is contagious! (if you’re okay with talking over the music)
Middle grade novels: I find many of them very immersive and emotionally engaging while I’m reading them, add them to my “best of the year” prospects list, then go back in a few months and can barely remember them. What’s that all about? They’re good, and very well-written, but they don’t stick. Anyway, these pulled me in recently and I’m going to read more by their authors:
- The Moon Without Stars, by Chanel Miller
- The Experiment, by Rebecca Stead
- Mountain Upside Down, by Sara Ryan
This post originates at everyday though not every day. Comments welcome here or there.
Langstroth on Bees update: The Ending Has Landed
Jun. 9th, 2026 10:59 amsanguinityIn other, better news: my beta signed off on my revised (revised revised) ending for Langstroth on Bees! Yippee hooray hurrah! \o/
( In which I go on )
We still have the whole damn thing to edit, because it was written over (*checks notes*) twelve years, and I have leveled up as a writer hugely in that time, and... yeah. So we'll see how that goes.
BUT I HAVE OFFICIALLY STUCK THE LANDING. IF WE CAN GET THIS THING EDITED I AM GOOD TO GO. \o/
( In which I go on )
We still have the whole damn thing to edit, because it was written over (*checks notes*) twelve years, and I have leveled up as a writer hugely in that time, and... yeah. So we'll see how that goes.
BUT I HAVE OFFICIALLY STUCK THE LANDING. IF WE CAN GET THIS THING EDITED I AM GOOD TO GO. \o/
Meme - Books
Jun. 7th, 2026 02:18 pmsmallhobbitFollowing on from yesterday's thefridayfive I'm now completing a meme thatjustwontbreak posted at the end of April:
This week I'm reading: Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, Maigret's Mistake by Georges Simenon, The Truth by Terry Pratchett, and Marked for Death by R O Thorp
My favourite book of all time is: I still cannot decide
My current favourite book (read or re-read in the last 3 months) is: The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting by Naomi Kuttner
The last book I bought was: Stories for the Twelve Days of Christmas a pre-order from British Library Women Writers
The first book I bought with my own money was: Probably something from the St Clare's series by Enid Blyton
The first book I received as a gift was: No idea, but I frequently received books for birthdays and Christmas
The last book I received as a gift was: Cranky Ladies of History by Tansy Rayner Roberts
The last book I borrowed from the library was: Marked for Death by R O Thorp
The book physically closest to me right now is: The Life of Mammals by David Attenborough
This or that
Physical book or e-book: Physical
Used or new: Used, which includes library books, although occasionally I'm the first to borrow a book so it could be described as new
Fiction or non-fiction: Fiction
Read at a coffee shop or at the park: Home, in bed
Paperback or hardcover: Paperback generally, library books may be hardcover
Romance or Crime: Crime
Yes or no
Stream of consciousness? No
Poetry? No
Memoirs? Sometimes
Philosophy? No
Thrillers? Yes
Chronicles? Probably not
Travel logs? Maybe
Dialogue heavy? yes
thefridayfive I'm now completing a meme thatjustwontbreak posted at the end of April:This week I'm reading: Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, Maigret's Mistake by Georges Simenon, The Truth by Terry Pratchett, and Marked for Death by R O Thorp
My favourite book of all time is: I still cannot decide
My current favourite book (read or re-read in the last 3 months) is: The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting by Naomi Kuttner
The last book I bought was: Stories for the Twelve Days of Christmas a pre-order from British Library Women Writers
The first book I bought with my own money was: Probably something from the St Clare's series by Enid Blyton
The first book I received as a gift was: No idea, but I frequently received books for birthdays and Christmas
The last book I received as a gift was: Cranky Ladies of History by Tansy Rayner Roberts
The last book I borrowed from the library was: Marked for Death by R O Thorp
The book physically closest to me right now is: The Life of Mammals by David Attenborough
This or that
Physical book or e-book: Physical
Used or new: Used, which includes library books, although occasionally I'm the first to borrow a book so it could be described as new
Fiction or non-fiction: Fiction
Read at a coffee shop or at the park: Home, in bed
Paperback or hardcover: Paperback generally, library books may be hardcover
Romance or Crime: Crime
Yes or no
Stream of consciousness? No
Poetry? No
Memoirs? Sometimes
Philosophy? No
Thrillers? Yes
Chronicles? Probably not
Travel logs? Maybe
Dialogue heavy? yes
The Friday Five: Books!
Jun. 6th, 2026 12:27 pmsmallhobbitThis week's thefridayfive
1. Do you enjoy reading?
Yes, I generally have about 4 books on the go at once.
2. What is the first book you remember reading?
It was a long time ago...
3. Who is your favourite author?
Impossible to decide - I have a selection of authors I like to read, but it depends what I'm looking for. Maybe Vaseem Khan.
4. What is your favourite book?
If it was impossible to decide on my favourite author, how am I supposed to extend the search to one book. Latest favourite The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting by Naomi Kuttner
5. What is the last book you read and the first you'll read next?
The last book I finished was Cranky Ladies of History by Tansy Rayner Roberts. The next book I'll be starting is The Spring House by Cynthia Asquith, which is published next week as part of the British Library Women Writers collection.
thefridayfive 1. Do you enjoy reading?
Yes, I generally have about 4 books on the go at once.
2. What is the first book you remember reading?
It was a long time ago...
3. Who is your favourite author?
Impossible to decide - I have a selection of authors I like to read, but it depends what I'm looking for. Maybe Vaseem Khan.
4. What is your favourite book?
If it was impossible to decide on my favourite author, how am I supposed to extend the search to one book. Latest favourite The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting by Naomi Kuttner
5. What is the last book you read and the first you'll read next?
The last book I finished was Cranky Ladies of History by Tansy Rayner Roberts. The next book I'll be starting is The Spring House by Cynthia Asquith, which is published next week as part of the British Library Women Writers collection.
Meme - 50 This or Thats
Jun. 4th, 2026 01:02 pmsmallhobbitout_there posted this nearly three months ago...1. Bagels or donuts?
Donuts.
2. Bar soap or body wash?
Body wash for the shower, bar soap when washing my hands
3. Being afraid or being embarrassed?
Embarrassed. The safer option
4. Big bash or intimate gathering?
Intimate gathering. Much better chance of getting to talk to those I like.
5. Board games or video games?
Puzzles on line
6. Bridgerton or The Crown?
Neither
7. Cardio or weights?
Cardio, if a brisk walk counts
8. Carpet or hardwood?
Hardwood downstairs, carpets upstairs
9. Clue/Cluedo or Monopoly?
neither
10. Cook or do the dishes?
I always do the dishes
11. Damp socks or a pebble in your shoe?
Pebble in the shoe, which I can stop and remove
12. Dragons or unicorns?
Dragons, every time
13. Family vacation or solo trip?
Family, specifically The Daughter
14. Fork or spoon?
Both
15. General admission or assigned seats?
Assigned seats, no need to arrive mega-early before someone spreads a coat across several seats to save them for 'friends coming in a bit'
16. Give or receive?
Both
17. Hot cocoa or hot cider?
Mulled cider is lovely in winter.
18. Iced tea or hot tea?
Hot tea, every day
19. Italian food or Mexican food?
Italian, one of my favourites
20. Long car ride or short plane trip?
Long coach ride
21. Mountains or beach?
Both
22. Movie candy or popcorn?
Neither
23. Musical theatre or concert?
Either
24. Nightlight or no light?
No light. But we have pale curtains, so the bedroom gets light with the dawn
25. Ninja attack or pirate attack?
Pirate attack. Then I can join them
26. Outer space or bottom of the ocean?
Outer space, it's fascinating
27. Painful truth or comforting lie?
Depends on the circumstances
28. Pancakes or waffles?
Pancakes.
29. Passion or friendship?
Friendship - lots more opportunity
30. Phone call or text?
Text.
31. Pizza or tacos?
Pizza.
32. Play or concert?
Play
33. Playlists or podcasts?
Podcasts, ideal for chores, driving and crafting
34. Puzzles or colouring books?
Puzzles.
35. Rain or snow?
Snow, since we get a lot less
36. Ramen or pho?
Ramen.
37. River or lake?
Either
38. Roller coaster or Ferris wheel?
Ferris wheel.
39. Roller skates or ice skates?
Neither
40. Salt or pepper?
Salt.
41. Singing in the shower or singing in the car?
In the shower
42. Skinny fries or thick cut?
Thick cut.
43. Sneezing or coughing?
Sneezing.
44. Snowboarding or skateboarding?
Neither
45. Snowmen or sandcastles?
Snowmen
46. Spicy or mild?
Mild.
47. Street food or fine dining?
Fine dining.
48. Subtitles or dubbed?
Subtitles
49. Wine or beer?
Wine
50. Zoo or aquarium?
Either
Comment Bingo #9
Jun. 2nd, 2026 07:23 pmkingstoken| a work from an event from 2022 | a work posted in the past month | a work from a science fiction/fantasy canon | a fanvid | an art you go back to |
| a work with a trope you rarely seek out | a work from an event from 2026 | a work in a series | a work from an event from 2024 | a work from a mystery/thriller canon |
| a work posted in 2026 | a work from an event from 2015 | FREE SPACE | a work posted in 2011 | a work from a fandom that aired/released in the 1990s-2010 |
| art on AO3 | a work posted in 2020 | a work posted in 2023 | a work from a fandom that aired/released from 2010-present | a work from a drama canon |
| a work you've already commented on | a work by someone you've come across recently | a work posted in 2010 | a work from an event from 2019 | a work that made you sad |
( Fanworks commneted on )
Bingo card
Jun. 2nd, 2026 10:55 amsmallhobbitThere are two challenges on allbingo this month, but realistically I don't have time for both, so I've decided to go for the Hazbin Hotel Challenge, using Places prompts, but going with a Pride theme.
allbingo this month, but realistically I don't have time for both, so I've decided to go for the Hazbin Hotel Challenge, using Places prompts, but going with a Pride theme.| Hell | City |
| Club | Tower |
Sherlockian news
May. 31st, 2026 09:04 pmtrobadoraVia tv_talk, two interesting new Sherlock Holmes-related shows in the making:
No matter how many there are, I can never get enough of Sherlock Holmes adaptations! I've read and watched a lot of them, and there are so many more I still want to try, but every time I see something new announced I'm still all, YAY! *g*
(No, seriously, I love the sheer variety of different things inspired by ACD's Holmes, no matter how close or how tenuously connected. Inspiration! Fannishness! It's all brilliant. :D)
tv_talk, two interesting new Sherlock Holmes-related shows in the making:- Moriarty: "When a rival criminal begins an assault on his underground empire, Moriarty will have only one choice: to join the police as a consultant, using the law as a weapon to dismantle his foe while keeping his true identity hidden from the police." (source)
- The Death of Sherlock Holmes: "a six-part series starring Rafe Spall as an amnesiac Holmes forced to deduce his own identity high in the Swiss Alps" (source)
No matter how many there are, I can never get enough of Sherlock Holmes adaptations! I've read and watched a lot of them, and there are so many more I still want to try, but every time I see something new announced I'm still all, YAY! *g*
(No, seriously, I love the sheer variety of different things inspired by ACD's Holmes, no matter how close or how tenuously connected. Inspiration! Fannishness! It's all brilliant. :D)