beanside
06 January 2026 @ 05:07 am
For the dreams that you dreamt can become just as real as the blood that was shed  
It's Tuesday! I survived Monday! Work was bugfuck busy, so I tried to limit the amount of time I spent off the phones doing callbacks. I ended up taking about 50 calls. By the end of that, my voice was drifting. I sounded kinda porn star-ish most of the day, my voice getting progressively more throaty. By 4:30, it was starting to fade out for a syllable here and there. So it would be "thank you for call--- Johns Hopk-- Radiology." It was kinda sad.

Patients were mostly nice though. And we got great news mid day in the form of an email asking if we wanted to do the same thing we did last year for MLK. Technically, we're closed, but because the sites are open, they asked for a few volunteers to work that day. You get time and a half, plus 8 hours of PTO put into your bank. 1. I can always make use of the money. 2. I can damn sure use the extra PTO! I'm going to be cutting it close for the cruise, but an extra day will loosen thing up just a touch. And it'll mean that in 4 weeks when I get that PTO, I can book out both of the Mondays I need. They're harder to get, so I want to do them first up. Then, I'll fill in the rest as we go. I hit reply on that email SO fast, and now I'm scheduled for 10hr that day.

Still feeling like ass today. Coughing, sneezing and congested. I am not enjoying this cold or whatever the fuck it is. It's tested negative for everything. I tried to get an appt last night to just touch base with the doctor, but she never showed up. I sat in the virtual meeting room for 45 min, and no doctor. I'm a little pissed about that. I'm going to call during my break and see what the fuck happened, and ask if my doctor can prescribe something for the nighttime cough. I'm tired of not sleeping.

Wow, the blue/green dress took that poll in a landslide victory! I have one more dress coming, but I think it'll be tough for it to top how flattering the green dress is on me. I'll put up another poll when it gets here, or at least a picture. I had kind of wanted a longer dress, but if I put on some nice tights, It'll look good. Plus, no pile of alterations! Thank you all for voting. (The Black dress will probably be coming on the cruise too for the gala night, so It'll get it's chance to shine.)

I'm debating on dining for the cruise. As part of the Have It All package, Jess and I got free dining credits to the specialty dining. The Morimoto pop up isn't part of the package, so we've got two specialty dining credits banging around. I'm tempted to book something else, but I don't know which one, and on which night. I kind of want to start and finish in Club Orange, which is the special dining room for suite passengers. Which leaves four nights we could do it. First sea night on Sunday, Tuesday in Skagway, Thursday in Ketchikan. Or, I could do it on our last sea night if I wanted to finish with a specialty.

As far as the cuisine, there's the steakhouse, or there's the French restaurant or there's the Asian fusion. Steakhouse would probably be better for everyone, but I also love French Food. I probably would skip the Asian, as we're doing Morimoto on Wednesday. I will think on this and look at menus.

Today is sure to be another busy day at work. We'll see if my voice holds out! For now, time to consider getting ready for work. Everyone have the very best Tuesday!
 
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Kate
06 January 2026 @ 03:48 am
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries: 06 January 2026 (Advent Devotional)  
QUIET

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. … And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:19, 52)

What next? The rest of Jesus’ childhood seems to have been pretty quiet, with the exception of one trip to Jerusalem (see Luke 2:41-52). Jesus would have learned the things any child learns: how to care for His own needs, how to do chores and help around the house. Mary probably taught Him to cook (see John 21:9-13). He would have learned to make friends in the neighborhood. Jesus probably went to school and learned to read the Hebrew Scriptures. And of course Joseph would have taught Him the work of a carpenter (see Mark 6:3).

I’m glad for the quiet years, because Jesus’ family could use some time to be at peace. We know Mary thought about the events around her Son’s birth; no doubt she told Jesus the stories of the angels and the wise men. Both Mary and Joseph would have looked ahead to Jesus’ future, trying to understand God’s plan—and to prepare Him as best they could for what was to come. For they knew Jesus was the Messiah, and He would save God’s people from the power of sin and evil. And if they understood the Scriptures clearly, they would have seen the troubling prophecies about His suffering, death, and resurrection—for us.

I’m sure they prayed, both for Him and with Him. And they loved Him deeply. It was a good starting point for the One who would love us most deeply of all.

WE PRAY: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me and becoming my Savior. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

  • Does it surprise you that Jesus’ growing-up years were so quiet?
  • Why or why not?
  • What do you think were the most valuable things He learned during that time? Why?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. 
 
 
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06 January 2026 @ 07:43 pm
1 - 5th January 2026 Writings  
( 1st – 5th )
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06 January 2026 @ 07:23 pm
2026 Snowflake Challenge #3  
Challenge 3
Today’s challenge is a chance to express your love to fandom, and what better way than a love letter? If you feel really creative, the letter doesn’t have to come from you. You could write as your favourite character, someone completely fictitious or your past or future self - or just as you in this moment.

Write a love letter to fandom. It might be to fandom in general, to a particular fandom, favourite character, anything at all.

Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.

Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so. Also, feel free to entice engagement by giving us a preview of what your post covers if you wish.

And please do check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.


Fandom: More than just expressing oneself creatively by engaging in one's interests. It is a community or group of communities. This allows for support and interactions over those interests. This varies from fandom to fandom, but this is the core of what the experience should be.
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Zarla
05 January 2026 @ 11:29 pm
 
Poll #34051
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 4

View Respondents

important

View Answers

Slidey block puzzle
1 (25.0%)

Sliding block puzzle
3 (75.0%)

 
 
Current Mood: curious
 
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Zarla
05 January 2026 @ 11:16 pm
~Gotta get me some of that soup!  
Gasp someone got me paid time here! :O Whoever it was thank youuuu, I added my old Girl and Triangle mood theme as a result. |D I should probably redraw parts of it or make a lady one or something but I'm fond of it! I'm so used to it now. I did add a few new little bits to it:



Though shoot I already had one for Determined and just forgot. OH WELL guess what the other ones are for, haha.

It seems like my posts on LJ aren't visible if you aren't logged-in now, which isn't great. It seems like email notifications are still working though. I mirrored some of my old comms over here the other night:

[community profile] frungylovers - the old Starcon2 comm!
[community profile] respectawoman - Lady comm
[community profile] screencappery - The screencap adventure comm I totally forgot about. :O A lot of stuff here if you want to read through some games, haha.

I haven't really done much clean-up or maintenance on them, except turning off comments on one post in the ladycomm that was covered with spam. They're here at least for now!
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Current Mood: thirsty
Current Music: 35147. Iamamiwhoami - Idle Talk
 
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Capy
05 January 2026 @ 08:30 pm
The Nostalgia Trap  

The Nostalgia Trap

I am part of the generation that spent most of their childhood in the analog world, and then gradually turned digital as they came into young adulthood. We are often referred to as “digital immigrants”, contrasting us with the “digital natives” born somewhere between a decade and two later. But a more appropriate term would be the “abyss generation”, because somewhere deep down we are stuck in limbo, in the abyss between fully analog and fully digital, of two worlds, yet fully belonging to neither.

Growing up, we used a lot of paper. A lot of color pencils and crayons. Our teachers put us through endless drills in cursive handwriting. A neat, legible, and beautiful hand was something to be strived for, something that was prized, and rewarded and shown off.
We had long afternoons to ourselves. We had a loyal band of neighborhood friends. We would have four hour long play sessions. Sometimes, we would listen to entire albums from beginning to end–while doing nothing else. Do you even remember the last time you just listened to music, without it being a soundtrack to some other activity you were doing?

Sometimes, we ache to go back to that time. That time seemed simpler and purer. So much so that we are willing to mutilate memories from our immediate past with sepia and Polaroid filters. Nostalgia is painful, but it is also sweet and powerful.

But here is the thing: nostalgia is a trap. It is not that those times were simpler and purer. We were simpler and purer.

Nostalgia is easy to fall into. And the older you get, the easier it gets. The universe of things you can look back on only increases with time. And it seems so much more pleasant than looking forward, where you only see hopes and dreams and fears and probabilities. It takes conscious effort to not go down that slope, to instead look to the future, and actually create it. And it takes even more effort, and more courage, to objectively compare the past to the present, and face the fact that, yes, indeed, most things are better, and are more likely than not to continue getting better.

Over the last year, I have found myself writing by hand again. Sometimes, it is page after page of straight prose. Sometimes it is phrases and bullet points and underlines and bubbles. Sometimes it is just random senseless doodling. And the reason I have come back to that archaic activity is my LiveScribe pen. I no longer have to worry about losing all that. Something that is naturally analog and free-form is seamlessly brought into the digital world.

We seem to be enveloped by the literature of despair and frustration. Complaints and pessimism always seem to be more profound and erudite when placed next to cheerful optimism. Reject that.

Look forward. Make the future.
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jinxedraven
05 January 2026 @ 06:06 pm
So uh livejournal heh  
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Azure Jane Lunatic (Azz) 🌺
05 January 2026 @ 04:06 pm
Miscellaneous holiday and post-holiday scraps  
* didn't do much for Solstice
* amusingly, both Aunt Tish and V got me the same slipper-socks for Christmas
* pear + green tea perfume was extremely relevant to Thorn's interests, even straight out of the bottle
* got my pill boxes filled for the coming quarter
- started the desk top cleanup for that a little before Just In Time
- did the morning pills first, which always gives me a little grace period to get the evening pills done the subsequent day
- ran out of my joint supplement after the first five weeks were done, but that did allow me to put the first five weeks away and start using them
- Belovedest picked up the missing pills in a very short turn-around, yay
* NYE cat pilling results: Yellface deigned to swallow, finally, after several very polite arguments in favor of spitting the pill out; Mila was too sharp to be pilled
* watched the festivities up at the Space Needle from the comfort of bed, with Belovedest and Thorn and sparkling cider (Belovedest dipped into the Faygo stash also)
* legs still awful
* did not lose the second set of black teardrop beads for the crochet projects
* made an OTC meds order from the usual supplier (Wellspring Meds) despite the sale having expired
- if your household needs industrial quantities of Imodium and you hate blister packs with a passion, consider this vendor: 200 pills in a nice little safety cap bottle, no peeling or shoving required
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raspberryrain
05 January 2026 @ 11:44 pm
Blue oni redux  
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Cassie Morgan
05 January 2026 @ 08:22 pm
2026 Snowflake Challenge #3 - A Love Letter to Fandm  
Dear fandom,

I don't think I'd have the life I have without you.

That's not hyperbole.

You've been one of the most consistent threads in my life, even when everything else has shifted around you.

I found you young, in my teens, when being intensely passionate about fictional worlds and Australian pop stars was all I knew. At school, I had basically no friends - I was into the wrong things, the things that marked you out as odd rather than interesting. I listened to the wrong music, watched the wrong TV shows, and wore the wrong clothes, and I liked reading.

I know now that I'm autistic and non-binary, but I didn't know it then - I was just... weird. I wasn't like the girls, so they didn't want to know me, and the boys who liked sci-fi wouldn't talk to me because they thought I was a girl.

But online, I found you. And I found people who cared about the same things I did, in the same way. You were where I learned how to talk to people, how to connect, how to build relationships around shared enthusiasm instead of small talk. You gave me community when I didn't have one.

Honestly, I don't think I'd have any friends without fandom. I met everyone in my life either through bands or TV shows (mostly Good Charlotte, Supernatural and Leverage) - all of us blogging our fears, our hopes and dreams on LJ.

I even met my partner through fandom, via commenting on her kinky SG-1 fanfic on AO3 - which has somehow, five years later, turned into a whole life together. It still feels slightly unreal when I stop and think about it. We're having a civil partnership ceremony in April, which we affectionately call “not getting married”.

You've been there through so many versions of me. Younger me, who needed you desperately. Older me, who wanders off sometimes and then finds their way back. You've changed shape over the years - different platforms, different cultures, different rules - and not all of those changes have been easy. Sometimes you're messy. Sometimes you're exhausting. Sometimes you're sharp in ways that hurt.

And yet

You've given me joy that doesn't need to justify itself. You've given me people who get it, who speak the same strange shorthand, who understand why caring deeply about fictional characters or real-life athletes can matter so much. You've taught me that enthusiasm is not something to grow out of, and that loving something - openly, thoughtfully, obsessively - can be a form of resilience

These days, fandom looks like tennis feelings and fic, like small, niche corners of the internet where a handful of people care just enough about the same things I do. It looks like late-night rabbit holes, shared jokes, collective gasps, and moments of tenderness I didn't know I needed until they appeared on my screen.

I don't love you uncritically. I know your flaws well. But I love you honestly, and I'm still here. You've shaped my friendships, my writing, my sense of self - and even my romantic life.

Thank you for growing with me. Thank you for waiting when I wandered off. Thank you for still making room for me now. Thank you for the people. Thank you for the connections. Thank you for still being here, and for letting me still be here too.
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Current Mood: grateful
Current Music: Emma Stevens - Written in the Stars
 
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Cassie Morgan
05 January 2026 @ 07:19 pm
📝 What I’m Reading and Thinking About (Insurgent & Time Hop Coffee Shop)  
This week's reading stack feels very deliberately split between intensity and comfort, which honestly says a lot about where my head is at right now.

On one side, I'm continuing with Insurgent. It's fast-paced and emotionally charged, full of difficult choices and escalating consequences. I'm always struck by how much this book is about identity under pressure - how people behave when the systems around them are breaking down, and neutrality stops being an option. It's the kind of read that pulls you along whether you're ready or not, and it definitely demands attention.

On the other side of the stack is Time Hop Coffee Shop, which couldn't feel more different if it tried. This one is all warmth and whimsy — alternate universes filtered through steaming mugs, quiet conversations, and the discovery of the things in life that really matter can be surprising. It's gentle without being dull, and it feels like the sort of book you read slowly, letting it settle.

Together, they make an oddly satisfying pairing. One is about upheaval and rebellion; the other is about pauses, connection, and care. Big stakes versus small kindnesses. Sprinting through plot versus lingering in atmosphere.

I think that balance is exactly what I want from my reading right now - something to engage me fully, and something to remind me to breathe.

If you've read either, I'd love to know how they landed for you. And if your reading week looks completely different, tell me what mood you're in - I'm always curious how other people balance their stacks.
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cardinalfang
05 January 2026 @ 10:41 am
What is the term for this kind of thing?  
Drive over to the El Camino, put your PIN number in the ATM machine, get some cash money and buy food for your puppy dog and kitty cat, then drop by the Coffee Cafe for a chai tea.
 
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TARLAN (tarlanx)
05 January 2026 @ 05:30 pm
Snowflake Challenge 2026  
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turps
05 January 2026 @ 05:05 pm
 
Weight management exercise only class restarted again today, and I was glad to get back into an accountability routine because I've sucked lately. As class doesn't start until 11 I decided to go to the gym first too, and it was good to be back there too, saying hello to the regulars and doing a mini leg day. I also got to use my new nifty magnetic gym bag, which works beautifully attaching itself to the machines.

James was supposed to be back to work after bereavement leave, but ended up being sent home by his team leader, who said he was nowhere close to being in the right headspace to take calls. I knew it would be a hard day as he always used to call his mam on the way to work, making sure she was doing okay, and of course, couldn't do that today. But I didn't expect a call an hour after leaving for work saying he was coming home. Work suggested he stay off until after the funeral, and he's got a sick note from the doctor that covers that period.

Now he's tucked up under his heated throw and fast asleep, which will, hopefully, do him good. But man, it's so cold here today. The sink in the downstairs toilet didn't drain due to frozen pipes and the pavements are so slippery, with more snow and ice forecast for tonight.

Despite having a load of recorded stuff to watch, I've been binge-watching Star Trek Strange New Worlds the last few nights, and enjoying it lots. I'm getting close to the end of season one right now, and suspect I'll watch more tonight. That's despite having an ep of The Traitors, Pottery Throwdown, New Year Bake Off, New Year Taskmaster, Celeb SAS Who Dares Win, Christmas All Creatures Great and Small, two eps of The Masked Singer to watch, and then tonight, new Pete Wicks, For Dogs Sake, and man, do I love that show, and Pete, so much.

But before any of that, time to make tea, then lobster bath time.
 
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malurette
05 January 2026 @ 05:11 pm
[meme] [community profile] snowflake_challenge - day o2  
Challenge #2: Pets of Fandom

Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!

Ok I’ll take «pet» not as «animal» but as «darling»
(pour les francophones: pas la traduction «animal familier» mais «chouchou»)

Something I was thinking of in the last weeks;
for all intents & purposes at the moment the character I’m most focused on is Dr Julian Bashir of DS9,
and yet everytime time I see posts or polls on Tumblr about "your blorbo"
(do I have to explain the concept for DW dwellers not familiar with it?)
I keep thinking of Howard McKenzie of LastMan instead.
So I’m torn: who is my Blorbo?

( Read more... )

(Even more years ago, my fandom pet wad Cain Fury from FMA. Maybe I should go back to him too.)
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sabotabby
05 January 2026 @ 06:57 am
2026 Book Log  
Fiction

1.The Magic Mountain, Thomas Mann
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beanside
05 January 2026 @ 04:51 am
It's the truth of candor shone through the prism of deceit  
It's Monday, and I am not ready. I need another couple of days, I think. I seem to be coughing more last night and this morning, so that's not ideal. I will stumble through work, but it's probably going to suck.

Yesterday was mostly a day of being a lump, though I did do one productive thing and dyed my hair. It's now a purple/red. It's pretty, but I do want more purple, so I may bleach next time and then dye, if the overtone doesn't bring out more purple. It's not bad, just not what I want.

The other thing I did was have Jess take pictures of my three dresses. I thought I knew which one I liked, but the pictures show a different take. So I'm outsourcing it. What do you think? (you can also see the hair color!)

Poll #34048
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11

View Respondents

Which dress would you pick?

View Answers


0 (0.0%)


2 (18.2%)


9 (81.8%)



After that, I went back to my nightgown and remained a lump. I rewatched a youtube series on the ship. Part of the problem I have with a lot of the youtube vids is that they're made by able bodied people who do shit like hike of their own free will. I need someone like me to make a video. Someone who can walk, but gets tired and needs to sit. Someone who will be using the free buses and shuttles and will not be taking five mile hikes for fun.

There's one place that has 79 steps. I'm taking the courtesy van, thank you.

Then, I felt in need of a comfort movie, so I put on the Losers. Goddamn, I love that movie. It's such a great 80's style action/comedy and is totally my jam. The cast doesn't hurt, and goes way harder than they need to. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana and Jason Patric. It's fun and it's fluffy and it was exactly what I wanted for the day. And from a purely aesthetic point, that's a whole lot of pretty stuffed into one movie.

After that, it was time for dinner and to walk the dog. He's been SO obliging the last few days about not getting long walks. He'll walk up to the corner and do his business. I hope that soon, I'll be up to doing the full walk.

And on that note, I'm going to hop off and get ready for work. Everyone have an amazing Monday!
 
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Kate
05 January 2026 @ 03:41 am
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries: 05 January 2026 (Advent Devotional)  
GOING HOME

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” … And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth …. (Matthew 2:19-20, 23)

I wonder what it was like for young Jesus, listening to His parents make plans to go home. Because as young as He was, Egypt probably felt like “home” to Him. He was probably not quite two when they left Bethlehem—did He remember it at all? And He had never seen Galilee. What Jesus knew as a young child was a mixture of His family’s language and culture and that of His Egyptian playmates.

Still, God wanted Him in Israel, and that is where they went.

If you think of it, that’s not a bad picture of how Jesus’ life went as an adult, too. Because during the years of His preaching and healing, He is constantly on the move; He says, “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head,” and He’s right (Luke 9:58b). Bed was often a stranger’s home or a spot on the side of the road. There would be no true lasting rest for Jesus “at home” until after He suffered, died, and rose from the dead. His great work made it possible for us, too, to become children of God, forgiven and blessed. And now Jesus has gone home to His Father’s house ahead of us to get things ready for us (see John 14:2, 17:24). He wants us with Him forever.

WE PRAY: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for making Your home mine. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

  • What makes a place “home” for you?
  • What do you think it will be like to live in Jesus’ home forever?
  • Do you expect to enjoy it?

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.


 
 
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brightly_lit
04 January 2026 @ 11:59 pm
Snowflake Challenge #2: Pets of Fandom  
I've gotten so many kind responses to my first Snowflake Challenge post. Thank you all! It's so nice to meet/reconnect with you!!

Challenge #2: Pets of Fandom

Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!

Though I had pets as a child, and allll I wanted for my whole youth was a horse, after my much-loved but extremely annoying Krazy Kat went to the great tuna buffet in the sky, I haven't had any more pets as an adult. We've discussed getting various farm animals, but it just doesn't sound appealing -- a lot of responsibility, poop, and fence repair. Plus I'm at least a little allergic to probably every animal with hair.

However, we do live in a pretty remote forested area, so we have a ball with sightings of the many kinds of animals we see on our property who consider it home, at least for a while: a lonely lady turkey, dozens of kinds of birds, a beautiful grey fox, many deer, a skunk who thinks it owns the place, plus a couple of stray cats whose eyes we saw glowing when we went out at night, and have only glimpsed in daylight when they thought no one was watching.

And of course, the giant slug who lives on one wall of our house! We call him Frisky.
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