ofearthandstars | Recent Entries

Environmental scientist who's passionate about climate change and a sustainable future. Full of anxiety-bees, and frequently pushing against the darkness in my head while multitasking six other things. Parent to three adults who I love ridiculously but who will likely be the end of me. Vegan and progessive. I exercise to keep sane and try to outwit genetics.

This is a Day-in-the-Life journal; more measured posts may happen but my brain is usually not that organized.

With these considerations, this journal is largely access-only. All protected content is confidential and may not be shared or reposted without permission.

No strict access/subscribing policy - I am here for interaction. If you'd like access, please leave a comment below.

From

thefridayfive

1. Did you get an allowance as a kid, and if so, how much was it?
I think my allowance started around $2-$2.50 a week. This also seemed to be around middle school time, so I would guess early 90s, for time/inflation reference. Needless to say, it was not a lot. I made more money by doing yard work or doing well in school, and was rewarded based on report cards.

2. How old were you when you had your first job, and what was it?
Probably 12-13, and probably baby-sitting. I was not good at it, but I was paid around $15-20 to watch 3 young children for a single mom at the time, and she would leave us alone for 7-8 hours at a time. Man, they were something.

3. Which do you do better: save money or spend money?
I am a saver. After many many years of living paycheck to paycheck and practicing "simple living", I do not have a desire to own many things or a high inclination to spend.

4. Are people more likely to borrow money from you, or are you more likely to borrow from them?
The only people who borrow from me are my children, and then only people I borrow from are banks and the occasional credit card purchase (usually dental or vet coverage).

5. What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?
By far, a house, but technically we don't actually own that outright yet? So after that, my education/school loans, and then a septic tank for this house we don't yet own.

From

thefridayfive

1. What were some of the smells and tastes of your childhood?
The smell of the chlorine from the spa my mother worked at, and later, the smells of the craft store (Old America) that she managed. Tastes would be Velveeta cheese and Vienna sausages.

2. What did you have as a child that you do not think children today have?
The ability to have your own thoughts without 1,000 things vying for your attention; freedom to roam without being under a microscope.

3. What elementary grade was your favorite?
Probably 5th. I was a stinker in the early grades, often acting out and getting into trouble. We moved around a lot due to the recession and I went to 5 different elementary schools. I think by 5th we had found a stable spot to land and I was able to relax a little. That was when a teacher first began to encourage my writing.

4. What summer do you remember the best as a child?
Probably 7th grade, the summer I broke my foot at my aunt's pool and spent the rest of the summer hanging out of our own pool with one leg in a hot pink cast hanging over the side.

5. What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self, and at what age?
I'd warn my younger self at 6 or 7 that they are worth more than their young body, and worthy as they are emotionally and mentally and intellectually, without need for perfection, and that they should never accept being told they are less than, especially by those who would profess to love them.

From

thefridayfive, but from a few weeks ago, and doing now because the questions felt important enough to me to reflect on.

1. What's one of the nicest things a friend has ever done for you?
I have been given so much love by so many friends over my life, which occasionally contributes to my "I'm a bad friend" complex in that I feel I can't adequately return it, but notable memories: (1) A friend on here showed up with me on a court date for support when I was a demoralized shell of a person, to which I remain grateful to this day, (2) when my house was broken into many years ago (I don't exactly remember when, but it was during my single-parenting period, so between 2006-2011) and my laptop and savings jar stolen (we didn't have a lot of stuff to steal), a group of friends fundraised to help me purchase a new laptop, which was a lifeline for my work and my writing; (3) other lovely friends have sent gifts over the years, including homemade scarves, hats, trinkets, and otherwise, which are ways of letting me know I am loved. I am a sucker for handmade things because I know the labor that goes into them (and I'm really bad/unpracticed at such crafts!)

2. What's one of the nicest things a stranger has ever done for you?
Once in 1998 I was very pregnant and car-free and took the bus everywhere. One time I boarded the wrong bus and ended up in a rural backwoods area not knowing how to get back to the right route/stop for the right bus. I started walking down the two lane to try to get myself headed in the right direction for town, but was wearing a cheap pair of sandals and was moving slow. I don't remember why, but I didn't call my partner at the time, probably because he would have berated me for getting off the bus. A gentleman in a white van found me walking on the side of the road in the heat and offered me a ride. I was extremely suspect of the van, but his vibe seemed safe, and he took me back into town to the right area and dropped me off without issue. I don't remember much about our conversation, but he was a country boy with a young wife/family and could tell I was miserable in the heat, and he was honestly being kind.

3. What is a trait in another person that you instantly admire, and that draws you to them?
Someone who demonstrates thoughtfulness to the idea of diversity among circumstances and perspectives and is generous in the emotional, mental, and physical sense.

4. What is a trait in another person that instantly repels you, and prevents you from forming a close relationship with them?
Self-centeredness, close-mindedness, and especially behavoir that exhibits racist/xenophobic or homophobic/transphobic ideas.

5. Time to vent: tell us about something rotten someone has done to you.
I doubt there is much I'd feel comfortable putting in a public post. I had a falling out with a friend a few years ago that was painful, but I let it lie. I found out later that the former friend had been bad-mouthing me (and their incorrect assumptions about me) to others. I had really worked hard to not talk ill of this person, even though the breakup and loss of friendship was painful, recognizing that we grew in different directions, and coming to a place where I just wanted the best for them. I guess I'd thought they they would do the same, but I suppose I was wrong.

From

thefridayfive: 1. What is your favourite fruit?

I love stone fruits like nectarines, peaches, Ranier cherries.

2. What is the last book you read?

I just finished How to Survive in a Chaotic Climate, which is a decent book with recommendations for how to come to terms with the fact that humans are destroying everything, and even if you mean well, you probably can't extricate yourself from the systems that feed it.

3. Do you like any of your school photos?

I had one good photo my senior year that was taken with the rest of the tennis team, and an individual player photo. But the latter needed a retake due to something I can't remember, and the guy who came out to retake it positioned me facing the sun, squinting, on a windy day so my hair was blowing around my face and taking off like a witch in flight and into my braces as I smiled.... thus resulted my most hated photo that my mother STILL passed out to family members. If I could claw them all back I would.

4. Do you ever blowdry your armpits to get the deodorant to dry quicker?

WHAT IS THIS QUESTION??!? What deodorant are we using that is so wet??!? The answer is no.

5. What was the last film you watched?

Probably Sinners? Which was decently good although some of the special effects were questionable.

From this week's

thefridayfive: 1. Does where you live have regular doorstep rubbish collections or do you have to take your trash somewhere else?

There are two ways to handle trash and recycling in my region - the first being to carry it to a local convenience center yourself, with hauling of large items to the county dump, and the second to select a trash service that offers one or both services for you. It used to be that you had to pay for a permit for the convenience center, but a little while ago they determined that county taxes actually cover the costs of those facilities, and now they are open to everyone. So, I could do that route, but I do not love filling my car with trash to take it off, so we take advantage of one of the local services. They are quite nice people and they often put up with me running down the drive dragging a can as they pass the house and then meekly waiting by the road barely-caffeinated for them to stop once they've turned through the cul de sac. The recycling pickup is every 2 weeks, and trash pickup is once a week - which, for me and most of my friends, is the reverse of what we really need (recycling is always topped off first!) The only thing we don't have is yard waste collection, which is fine, most of my yard fellings compost naturally here, or we sometimes have a small bonfire (we only even burn natural leaves and limbs) for the things that need to be cleared for fire safety.

2. Do you separate recycling? What sort of stuff gets recycled from your household?

Yes, we always have, and I always encourage people to, as there has been an effort to revamp the National Recycling Initiative and improve the services available, even as there are understandable weaknesses and failures in the current system. (Other countries are so far ahead of the U.S. in this matter.) In our home all cardboard containers/boxes and most plastics are recycled, as well as aluminum, metal, and glass. We also have a local metals and scrap recycling center that pays by the weight that we sometimes use. Oils and car fluids can be taken to a convenience center free of charge. The hardest thing is used electronics - generally the acceptance days for these products run only once or twice a year. And we don't buy a lot of electronics, but if you miss the day you are stuck hold onto items for a while!

3. Do you take things you don't need to charity shops, or give them away online, or sell them secondhand, or ...?

I drop less at charity shops now and most things I pass through my local Buy Nothing Group. I have adult children so many household items have been passed down to them secondhand.

4. Do you pick up litter in your local area, from streets or trails or play areas or parks? Have you ever found anything interesting discarded or lost in a public space?

Yes, I do. I'm a huge believer in trying to leave places (and people) better than you found them, so when we pack for hikes I usually have a couple of bags on us and make sure to pick up found items. Once got an entire opened pocket pack of Kleenexes, which isn't very exciting, but is useful. I also keep trash bags in my car for large items, and I'm frequently picking up dropped items along our lunch walks (usually things that are scattered on trash days, my street is pretty good about not littering.)

5. Are there "repair cafés" near you to help mend fixable items? Have you ever been helped by a community repair service or volunteered for one? Do you do any other kind of upcycling?

Not so much as there used to be, I'd love to see more in our area. Most of the upcycling takes place through the Buy Nothing Group. I once got a metal headboard for a bed that is becoming a muscadine vine trellis. I recently took a cabinet a friend was giving away and "updated" it to the look I wanted with contact paper. Little things, nothing amazing.

This evening I took a few close-up photos of the moss around the yard for the purposes of trying to identify some of the various species. There are only a few that I'm very confident on the identification, and others I think I may have narrowed down to the genus, but that's it.

This will be a picture heavy post! I hope you can appreciate the variation in the photos, which is not readily apparent from landscape photos.

First off, Leuocbryum glaucum, a pincushion moss, easily identified by the means in which colonies clump and grow in rounded mounds like rolling carpets. Glaucum, for their whitish-tipped green leaves, the pale ends of which get more predominant as the moss dries. In our yard, this is predominantly around our shed, cropping up across a rocky clay and granite bed.

( more! )

From this week's

thefridayfive

1. What is your favorite experience in your life so far?

Honestly, I don't know how to begin to answer a question like this - how do you determine a "favorite" of anything? Life changes and ebbs and flows. I'd probably have to put relatively small experiences - like standing at the ocean on the island of Maui, or even just at the edge of the Atlantic in Kure Beach.... or how I feel when I'm hiking and make it the top of the mountains. So I guess the answer is...the experiences of witnessing parts of this world that fill me with awe and a reminder of how small we are in this great expanse of a planet and a universe.

2. What motivates you to keep going every day?

Also tough to answer, because I think the occasional darkness that comes and goes in my life has been more present this year. But I do get up in the mornings and do not lay in bed all day. I guess the possibility of each day, and the animals - they always need to go outside or to be fed, and I feel an obligation to keep them well. For all of my missteps and mistakes, I do believe that I am trying to move through the world as best I can, and that each day has that opportunity to do more.

3. Where do you want to go in life? What do you want to accomplish?

*dark laughter* I once thought that I wanted to change things, for the better, for the environment, for people, for animals. I think now I am going through a crisis of feeling powerless at actually being able to do any of that, through either work or activism. I'm on a lifelong quest to learn, though. And maybe I'll also be brave someday.

4. Is there anything that you regret? Do you try to change it?

Scads and scads of regrets, things that, if I could turn back the clock with the understanding I have now, I would have saved myself and others a lot of pain. I also understand that those things helped make me who I am (for better or for worse). I do still try to change my ways of moving through the world to do the least harm, and the most good - that is why I am still in therapy, to try to tease out the parts of me that are fearful or anxious or stuck, and how to move onwards.

5. What is your most cherished gift you have received? Why do you cherish it so much?

About a year before she passed, my mother crocheted me my own afghan, in my favorite greens. It is the dearest thing I own now. Unfortunately one night after she passed it slipped off the bed and next to the rats' housing, and they happily nested off a corner of it. My now MIL helped me to find someone who could fix it, and they ended up removing about 3-4 inches and then re-stitching what was left (I wish that they had been able to truly repair it with the pattern, but I guess they couldn't find the same yarns). So I am also always a little happy and a little sad when I use it, but on days when I feel like I can't go on, it is the closest thing I have to my mother's arms around me.

Yesterday we finished the meal planning and grocery shopping, shared lunch, and then decided to try to venture out for a trail because the temperature and humidity drops currently feel quite magical. We discovered a new county trail park less than 10 miles away, which goes by the name "Beech Bluff", which is an homage to the number of beech trees in its general vicinity but also tends to overhype what is generally a not-that-tall hill overlooking Middle Creek. That said, I'm happy to see the place - it was born of an old 300-acre farmstead that has been preserved, with a community garden, orchard, playgrounds for little ones, and both ADA-compliant (boardwalk, pea gravel over asphalt) and natural (mostly red clay) trails. None of the trails are very long - only about 0.5 mile each, so I think the total mileage is something like 2.6 - and they involve a main trail out to the "bluff" with an overlook and several loops that traverse around meadows and through woodland. The park only opened in March, so everything still looks immaculate. Dogs are welcomed on leashes, and there's plenty of parking and shelters, including a field for kite-flying. (I'll add that this park is over the county line in Willow Spring(s), so the funding comes from Wake County bonds. I adore the ideas behind it, though.)

While there, we came across a stump utterly colonized by various species of shelf mushrooms, which made me happy. (Also I think it might have some reishi, but I am not 100% sure and I didn't pause to examine longer because we had the dog with us.)

It's nice to know we have another relatively close option for trails. On the northern end the wooded trails are far enough from other development that you can feel away from people, though towards the entrance the park does abut neighborhoods and so we encountered a homeowner enthusiastically mowing (unseen) through the trees. One of the nicer surprises, however, was following a natural trail into a wildflower meadow absolutely swarming with happy dragonflies.

After we got home, I was overcome with exhaustion, and so while I intended to read I ended up napping for a bit. I have started a few different books, including Catton's Birnam Wood, Gay's The Book of Delights, and Annie Martin's The Magical World of Moss Gardening (the latter I have had two different versions for a long time for reference, but am trying to finally sit down and read through more thoroughly).

From this week's

thefridayfive:

What is something you collect? Why?
I am not a big collector of things, I prefer simpler spaces and find too much clutter overstimulating. That said, whenever we go on a trip, we often pick up a piece of artwork or pottery as a souvenir. I do appreciate this because I can look at a particular piece and recall the memories of the trip that we found it on, and they are associated with good things.
If you could make one ice cream flavor, what would the ingredients be and what would be the name?
A vegan rocky road ice cream, made without any coconut milk/oils/derivatives (so probably cashew-based). I'd call it "Unicorn Flavor" because such a thing is impossible to find - nearly all vegan ice cream has some form of coconut to make it creamy, which is why I haven't had any in about two years. (We did find one brand that was coconut-free but it was also "diet" and more like eating shaved ice, so a crime against nature, basically.)
What can't you go a day without?
Coffee.
What position do you sleep in? *back, right side, left side, stomach . . . etc.*
I flop from side-to-side all night like a slowly roasting eggplant. On my left side, my hip determines the length of the position. On my right side, my shoulder/neck determines the duration until the next flop. Aging is SO delightful!
What is your typical morning routine before work/school?
Coffee while quickly perusing whether the world is still in flames. I have had better morning routines with fancy things like morning pages or meditation and/or yoga, but none of those have remained a long-term habit. I think in part, because my youngest is usually home fresh off night shift, and now L. is also home for the summer, and the energy in the space is not conducive to those sorts of centering/self-reflective habits unless I get up REALLY early (before either of them are up/home), and I am not a morning person by nature.

What is...

one place you volunteer (or would like to)? Why?
I haven't been in a very long time, but I find a lot of peace in spending time with Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, which is one of the few places where people gather to support and care for animals that most people consider menu items, many of whom have been through horrific experiences of neglect and/or abuse. At PFAR they are safe. Also, PFAR has generously taken in animals that I have helped, including ducks, goats, and chickens, and it's always a joy to visit them and see them thriving.
one book you'd like to see made into a movie? Why?
My first answer was The Overstory, but then I thought, no, it would be better as a series, and then I found evidence that such is in the works and now I am worried that if it's not perfect, the magic will be lost.
one creature (living, extinct, or mythical) you'd like for a pet? Why?
I don't love the word "pet", which implies a keeping of another creature as property... but as a companion, I'd love a dragon. Because beautiful power and also, fiery breath of rage to extinguish my enemies. We may have trouble fitting them in the back bedroom, though, and I'm sure the cat would object.
one place on Earth you'd like to visit? Why?
There are many places... I have dreams about the redwoods of California, but also, maybe Puerto Rico to see the bioluminescent bays.
one talent or skill you'd like to develop? Why?
Ooof, for now, I will say "Speak Spanish fluently." I can read it well enough and understand (slower) conversations, but I do not have nearly enough experience speaking it and feeling comfortable.

From

thefridayfive:

What was the most sick that you've ever been?
It would either be the time I had strep not long after having my Oldest kid, in which case I remember wondering if I might be dying as I couldn't leave the bed and had fever hallucinations, or when I contracted chicken pox as an adult in my late 20s because (surprise!) chicken pox vaccinations were not yet vogue when I was a little kid and I'd never been exposed (because maybe exposing your kid young was still vogue, but we moved around a lot and I was an awkward kid with few friends?). Anyway, if you have ever been covered head to toe in blisters (literally, I can remember crying while trying to find a way to lay my head on a pillow comfortably) while your vaccinated children run around in wildly energetic circles with only a tiny bump or two on their arm from the same illness, you will understand that chicken pox is not benign and actually VACCINES ARE GOOD.
What disease are you afraid of getting?
This has changed over time. Currently I think it's Alzheimer's. I live in my head a lot, and if my head becomes not my head, well then, who am I, exactly?
Are you a big baby when it comes to taking medicine/shots for your illnesses?
LOL, not at all. I give myself 5 shots a month to treat migraines and asthma/allergies. I used to be afraid of it, growing up with a Type 1 diabetic mother who gave herself shots all the time (when auto-injectors and retractable needles were not a thing). But that fear was also probably combined with watching a lot of weird daytime soaps/movies in the 80s in which someone was inevitably killed from an intravenous air bubble introduced by their jealous lover/son/etc. Young me understood that my mom needed the shot to live but also frequently worried if she might accidentally give herself a heart attack.
Is going to the doctor really THAT bad?
Only when they make notes about your dysphoric mood (*grumble grumble*).
Would you have the flu twice a month if you were paid $1,000 for having it?
Nope, nada, nopeapotamus. There's a reason we toast to our health!

From this week's

thefridayfive:

Who is your best friend? Without a doubt, L., though I suppose this answer is a bit of a cheat. But I like knowing that my partner is my best friend, and I'd like to think that whatever changes come about in our lives, things will always manage to remain that way.
Why did you become friends? We were two awkward ducks in the freshman high school pond. Both unpopular, both entirely too nerdy for our own good, and we shared a lot of common spaces. I have to assume that if someone has seen and stayed with me through my cringey, dramatic, and awkward teen years, they are around for the long haul.
How did you meet? Shared classes in secondary school, but largely because we both rode a "2nd shift" bus home in the afternoons (school district did not have enough buses, so it would conduct one route then return for the second load, leaving a bunch of young people to squander time in the corners of the halls making terrible jokes.) We were among the students whose parents did not pick them up or provide them cars to drive with.
Why have you stayed friends? Ooof, well, as friends, we confided a lot in one another, in ways that are more vulnerable than most. So friendship turned to dating, which, inarguably, was terrible during those years, because of immaturity and selfishness. We broke up when we separated for college, but always kept in touch, because even though there were times we'd hurt each other, we still cared for each other. Later we reconnected, as friends, which eventually turned into a marriage, which is a high stakes way of making sure you stay friends.
How long (realistically) do you think you'll be friends? Oh, I don't know. I can hope for a lifetime, though, can't I?

Questions from

thefridayfive:

1. Who was your favorite teacher? and 2. Why was that teacher so special?

Without a doubt, it was Patricia Adams Lent, who taught my AG middle school English classes from 6th-8th grade. She recognized that I was a socially awkward oddball stuck in my own head, and she was so very, very kind to me when I had no real friends. She was a rigorous instructor, she helped form/improve my writing/editing skills, but also was a very much a teacher of critical thinking. Outside of that, she led drama activities, a literary magazine, and even enjoined me for bike rides in the countryside outside of class. On my middle school graduation, she made me an actual walking stick (made from an apple tree, carved and cured and polished and with my name and the dates carved in it).

3. Do you think teachers get paid enough? Well, having very close family as teachers I must say I am pretty well-acquainted with the responsibilities and the paycheck, and no, it is not nearly enough, not for the extra work and activities that are required, not for the enormous disrespect and wringers that they are put through by students and parents and administrations and political pontificators. There's so much less freedom in teaching than there used to be, which seems such a disservice to all involved.

4. Do you have a favorite year of school? Not really. School was mostly miserable for me, I connected more with the adults than the other students, with a few exceptions, so I mostly focused on the work. I did enjoy the last two years as I was starting to finally feel more comfortable with myself, but given that I cocked everything up right after high school, I don't look at that former version of myself very kindly. (They were intelligent but also young and naive, I really should forgive them someday.)

5. If you could travel back in time and tell yourself something now that would have helped you get through school, what would you say? Calling on Mr. Rogers, I guess I'd say "Look for the helpers." They are the only ones to have helped me survive it.

From

thefridayfive

1. How are you stereotypically female?

Mmm, well, I do have a uterus and a tendency to gather body fat around my belly and hips. For more gendered traits, I carry the weighted blanket of feeling empathy for most beings and having a caretaker responsibility (which I would denote as separate from a nurturing/caretaking personality, which I struggle with). I have a strong connection to nature. I am somewhat ruthless in trying to understand myself emotionally.

2. How are you stereotypically male?

I am competitive to a fault. I prefer analytical work related to science and mathematics, and enjoy mechanical/appliance repairs as problem-solving/puzzles. I am not afraid to get dirty. I seek out risk-tasking adventures/activities. I am harshly independent.

3. What parts of you do you consider unclassifiable as either gender?

Pick one of the above? I feel like most gender stereotypes are just that, and ultimately harmful to the individual. Gender and biological sex fall along a spectrum, and so, too, do their ascribed characteristics.

4. Do you think you are primarily male, female, or neither in characteristics?

Many days I veer between feeling neither. Somedays I feel more aligned with the feminine. I don't know that I have ever felt particularly masculine, and due to certain experiences, am aware that I have a bias towards cismen. That said, as my body has changed in the last few years while working out I have less softness and a more masculine form/features in certain ways that is interesting to observe.

5. If you could be born as any gender, knowing the gender prejudices as they are now, which would you choose to be?

Gods, what an unanswerable question. To be born with the confidence that is given to a man, and to move through the world with that, sounds amazing - but also I know it comes heaped with its own expectations and pressures that must feel insurmountable. I am probably most comfortable feeling genderless, and indeed, it was moving anonymously genderless in certain spaces that helped me feel more empowered. That said, I also am keenly aware that living openly genderless and/or intersex comes with its own challenges. I was raised by a set of parents that (subconsciously) encouraged me to explore beyond gender norms/expectations, mainly to instill a sense of self-sufficiency (my father was raised by a single mother, and he didn't want me dependent on anyone else for income or assistance), although I also came of age through the 80s and 90s when genderbending and less gendered appearances were in some ways less targeted by the conservative right as they are now.

I feel like I could write loads more to expound on the above, but there are household chores and acquiring of food to be completed.

From

thefridayfive:

1. What do you like most: Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays (and why)?

Probably Friday, because as work closes out it feels like everything is full of potential for the next day or so. That's not actually true, but I appreciate that my brain is tricked into "ah, finally, it's over!" by the calendar. Also, our end of week ritual is to watch a series episode together (previously it was Snowfall, currently it's Yellowjackets and enjoy dark and stormies.

2. What was the best weekend of your life?

This is an impossible question. I do not think there has been any "best weekend" (or day, or night) of my life. Perhaps that sounds passionless, but it's hard to weigh all the days of my life and pick a "best".

3. What weekend of the year is your favorite?

Also a hard ask. Maybe the last weekend of the year when both L. and I usually have time off from work together. We do the final holiday prep and then relax post-holidays in that weird quasi-state of "what day is it?" for a little while before we get back to the grind. Also New Year's is without a doubt my favorite "holiday", although it doesn't necessarily fall on the weekend, I am all about letting go of the old and diving into the new.

4. Do you have any weekend routines?

For certain! Every other Saturday is a household cleaning day - the kitchens and bathrooms get deep cleaned, the rugs and towels are washed, and the main room/dining room/master get dusted/vacuumed/wiped down, and all the floors are swept/mopped. Sundays are typically our meal planning and grocery shopping days. I update the household budget sheets and plan out my next week.

5. Describe your ideal Saturday night.

Someone else is cooking dinner - maybe a trip to Fiction Kitchen, or L. is making southwest eggrolls. Movies and snuggle time on the couch later. It's the simple stuff, I don't need a lot. Tonight is not that night - L. has prom duty and so will be away part of the evening, so I'm cooking dinner and I might tuck into a tricky work project while he's gone, if I don't elect to read/practice Spanish. I've been outside in the pollen for too much of the day while we work on the cars (the Honda is back up and running, Littlest's car is still in stripping down mode), so need a shower to get the pollen off.

From

thefridayfive

How often do you typically shower/bath?
I usually shower 6 days a week; every day after the gym (or I'd be gross), and generally on Sunday evenings. Because I have always struggled with atopic skin/allergies/eczema, I find that more frequent showering helps although the water can't be too hot (and I have to moisturize immediately afterwards).
Do you prefer showering or taking a bath?
We have a stall shower in our master bedroom, with a built in bench, and typically use that. Though truthfully it is a bit small for two adults. Perhaps one day we'll remodel.
What's the longest you've ever gone without a shower/bath?
Hmm, I remember the summer I fractured a bone internal to my foot (in middle school?), and had a cast covering my foot up to my knee. I couldn't shower with it, so had to hang the cast leg precariously over the side of the tub to bathe, which was very inconvenient as that required lying with my head directly underneath the faucet/over the drain. I don't remember how long I went between bathing, but it was definitely more of a pain, so it was probably during that time.
What's your favorite personal hygiene product?
Uhm, deodorant, maybe? It is pretty magical stuff. I like Tom's of Maine Wild Lavendar, which is possibly the only vegan deodorant I've found that isn't full of coconut derivatives (which cause me to break out).
Do you shave your legs and/or beard? If so, how often?
I shave my legs and underarms fairly often (probably once a week at least? sometimes longer in the winter), mostly because of the gym. It makes me feel cooler and cleaner during the humid weather and while working out.

From this week's

thefridayfive:

1. If you were a crayon, which color would you want to be?

I am a dark teal, useful for coloring both the deep forest and the sea.

2. Which color do you think you would be regardless of what you wanted?

Probably grey, but with all the pock marks and dents and flecks of color from being bashed against the other colors.

3. Would you rather be used and get blunt, broken and lose your wrapper, or not be used and stay pristine?

My anxiety battles between needing order and needing to feel useful. (Although Littlest says this answer depends on whether one feels pain while being used.)

4. Would you rather be in a small set of crayons or a large set?

Safety and resources in numbers!

5. Would you rather be Crayola, or a different brand?

I feel like this is where I need to go on a deep dive to confirm that Crayola isn't, like, financing an underground slave trade in South America somewhere (or other horrible behavior), but I have never found a different brand of crayons that weren't too hard/dry.

Last week's

thefridayfive:

1. Did the house where you grew up have a newspaper delivered regularly? I don't specifically remember this, though I do have vague memories of searching for and poring over the Sunday comics, so at some point we must have either had a subscription or picked the paper up from somewhere. I have stronger memories of magazine subscriptions - copies of Time or Newsweek (before Newsweek took its swan dive) and National Geographic that would arrive to the house, glossy and shiny, and we'd save stacks and stacks of them for school projects.

2. Have you ever subscribed to an actual print newspaper? No, but oddly enough, when we lived in Smithfield, there was a "free" town paper that was distributed. It was mostly used to line the shelves of the crispers in the fridge and to support the boys' science projects.

3. When was the most recent time you physically picked up and read a newspaper? Our local grocer still carries the state newspaper - occasionally I'll pause to read the headlines, mostly to see what they find newsworthy, but I haven't bought a paper in years.

4. Do you pay for news online now? No. I often think that I should pick up at least one subscription - perhaps The Guardian or The Atlantic. Most of what qualifies for print journalism in the U.S. is disturbingly controlled by money incentives which are complicit in our political decline, which is in part why we are where we are. I do vaguely wonder if lack of subscriptions for news drives the dependence on more nefarious moneyed interests, but it seems ads and revenue have driven the papers, and subsequently the politics, for time immemorial.

5. Do you have any saved newspaper clippings? Perhaps somewhere, amongst my parents' old things that I am unable to part with - I have a few photo albums from their house that may contain newspaper clippings from our childhoods - things like science fair wins or academic awards that published to the tiny local paper. But beyond that, I haven't carried on the practice as an adult.

From last week's

thefridayfive:

1. Would you rather have a fun job that doesn't pay well or a boring job that does? I have always been someone who needed a job that was fulfilling and interesting over a job that paid more. If that weren't the case, I'd be driving a much newer car and living in a much bigger house and probably have a better skin care routine.

2. Would you sacrifice your morals for a job? I am currently trying very hard not to.

3. Would you ever take a job that requires you to be in costume? Pretty much anytime I am on camera I feel like I am in "costume", which is a shirt I haven't slept in, and preferably a touch of mascara.

4. What is your fantasy job? Working with a region/state/county/city/community to develop climate adaptation and harm reduction strategies. Or best-selling author. Or both!

5. Would you like fries with that? Always yes to potatoes. Always. More answers here

Today we discovered that we live only *three minutes* from American Wildlife Refuge (seriously, I could walk), who was having a V-owl-entine's Day event open to the public with some of their education owls in attendance. Of course, this means I must photo dump, but it works out, because you get to see OWLS!

Getting in and out of the place was a bit dicey, as we have been under heavy downpours for the last couple of days, and the parking area (a field) was pure mud by the time we arrived. The car sank into mud as we pulled into our spot. The event was in a covered greenhouse, luckily, and the rain had *just* finally paused (it starts back up tonight). We gingerly made our way to the greenhouse (L. sinking down into the mud immediately, and Midd'un stopping to help a couple who were having trouble getting traction in their vehicle to leave). Inside the greenhouse there were a couple of vendor tables with rocks/crystals, wildlife themed jewelry, and falconry and rehabbing resources. There was also a small bouncy house and a magician entertaining young children. But the stars were several beautiful owls, carefully held by long-time volunteers, who were happy to tell us about their charges and answer our questions.

This is Rasputin. He is a permanent resident, and has been hit by a car twice, as well as shot with buckshot, and still survived. Hence the name.

( more! (+5 photos) )
Just before leaving, we walked the field trying to strategize how we would get out. While walking I sank down into mud that covered the top of my shoes and went up my pants leg. We were anxious, as we watched a number of vehicles get stuck (though kudos to the young gentleman with the Jurassic Park truck hauling everyone out of the mud)! Middl'un had also gone with us and helped a couple of cars to get through the torn up field. Finally, we were able, with the owner's permission, to pull through an area that had not been heavily trafficked and so were able to leave without too much drama. All in all, we probably spent about an hour and a half learning about the owls, and so even with the miserable weather and mud, I'm so glad we went!

In talking with the volunteers and owner, they welcomed us to come join them and volunteer at the refuge and/or for help with retrieval and transport of injured birds. I picked up some information so I could check it out - with it being so close to us, it would be a great opportunity.

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Grey

December 2025

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Base style: Crisped by timeasmymeasure
Theme: Argyle by krja

Of Earth and Stars

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Sticky: About this Space

Friday Five (12 December edition)

Friday Five (Nov 28 Edition)

Friday Five: Old (Nov 14) Edition

Friday Five.... Armpit edition???

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Moss mysteries.

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New trails.

Friday Five: Random Edition

Friday Five: Just One Thing

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Friday Five - Teaching Edition

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Friday Five

OWLS OWLS OWLS OWLS OWLS!!!!!

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December 2025

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