Of Earth and Stars

Friday Five: Dating Yourself Edition

2026-04-29T13:33:32Z

Getting to thefridayfive late this week:

1. What decade did you attend/are you attending high school or college?
Mid-90s through early 2000s.

2. What clothing fashion from that time are you glad/do you wish went out of style?
Babydoll dresses. Every once in a great while I miss grunge before remembering that some folks just showed up dirty. Also there are far fewer folks wearing black lipstick these days.

3. Do you still listen to the music from your high school/college years on a regular basis?
Sometimes I spool up 90s songs at the gym or in the car, but mostly I find it playing in public spaces. Hearing "Sex and Candy" at the grocery store (the original or as a Muzak version) or NIN's "Closer" while at physical therapy have been a little disconcerting.

4. What hairstyle/hair color did/do you wear during high school/college?
In high school I pretty much wore my natural hair color, probably fried a little with Sun-In because we were not a family that could afford salon highlights. In college, I probably went through 20 different hairstyles, from long to bob to pixie. I tried the Rachel but on me it just looked like bad layering. Also my hair color went from bright blonde to deep auburn to dark black. An old acquaintance once joked that I would change my hair after every major life decision, and she wasn't wrong. It may have been my way of trying to combat the depression I was in.

5. What was/is "the cool thing to do" while in high school/college?
Gods, I have no clue what this would be, I was a social outcast. I came of age in a podunk area and being an outsider to them, wasn't able to fit in anywhere. I spent a lot of high school lunches hiding in my teachers' rooms as the cafeteria was brutal. I had my first child early in college/at age 19, which is an entirely different story unto itself, so I didn't have a typical experience there, either. That said, that is the age in which I discovered Livejournal, and met several lifelong friends. ♥

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3 Weeks 4 Dreamwidth

2026-04-25T15:35:59Z

There's a friending meme over at 3weeks4dreamwidth (which is starting today!)

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Good morning world.

2026-04-13T13:15:56Z

Yesterday, a far-right authoritarian dictator was ousted from government, much to the relief of Europe and much of the rest of the world. This particular dictator is one whom the American administration has modeled many of its tactics after, including its targeting of transfolks and erasing of LGBTQIA+ individuals from public life, and so to see it ousted with such deafening victory gives a small sense of relief, even as the danger continues to lurk, there and elsewhere.

~o~

I either ate or came into contact with something I shouldn't have, as the last couple of days have yielded a fine but irritating rash all over my face/neck and arms, and some light difficulty getting a deep breath. I did do a little yard clean-up on Saturday, but I kept it minimal due to the dryness and the pollen. I scrutinized my meals and didn't find any different ingredients beyond what I expected, so, unless I am reacting more to bell peppers or peanuts while other allergens are in the air, I'm not sure it's that. I need to try to follow up on my injection meds today and I'm not looking forward to it given the attitude I received on Friday. But also... breathing and not having painful itchy skin constantly would be great. Thankfully, L. took on the mowing of weeds along the front of the house/road yesterday, and I decided to stay in.

I had moved the dormant trees that I received to water soak and then to pots, but with the complete lack of rain and extended drought, it is requiring a certain amount of vigilance to keep them happy. I also found a tulip popular seedling has landed right behind the house in my "to be" herb garden bed. I tried to measure off to confirm that it is at least 15 feet from the back porch, and it seems that it is, so I may well leave it where it is. Tulip poplars are one of my favorite natives, but they are also troublesome to have too close given that they grow more swiftly than other trees, and are known for more breakage. We have at least 3-4 others in the yard of various ages - the largest is along our property right between the two houses, and is quite tall, but I have yet to see it flower, so it is presumably still a tween.

~o~

It seems fitting to oust an old-world mindset at the beginning of spring. Here's hoping that what buds in its place can be nurtured into a more democratic and just world. Here's hoping its tendrils spread and grow and provide bravery and strength for the rest of those that need it.

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Friday Five: Entertainment Edition

2026-04-11T16:12:21Z

From this week's thefridayfive:

1. What was the last book you read (or are currently reading)?
Still working my way through The Urban Bestiary (Lyanda Lynn Haupt), Hidden Potential (Adam Grant), and Silent Spring (Rachel Carson).

2. What was the last movie you watched?
Project Hail Mary, which we enjoyed immensely.

3. What television series are you currently watching?
The Pitt (HBO Max), Paradise (Hulu), Hacks (HBO Max), Reservation Dogs (Hulu)

4. What are some of your favorite blogs or communities online?
Argh, I don't have a good answer for this one, my blog reading is limited to blogs of personal friends, and I do not have a lot of specific communities that I follow, but I do love my Reading Page/DW Network! I have also crafted a nifty BlueSky feed of climate scientists, renewable energy/energy efficiency experts, biologists/ecologist, historians, and astronomy/astrophysics accounts that is pretty affirming. Which reminds me, someone created a feed of cats watching the Artemis II splashdown last night that was pretty fun to scroll.

5. What social media do you belong to and check often?
Dreamwidth and BlueSky are the only places I check regularly. I have a FB account to maintain contact with some folks that I can't otherwise see elsewhere, but I largely keep it deactivated and check in only here and there. The platform is largely unusable to me these days and mostly foists AI slop, communities/personalities I don't follow or care for, or ads...not to mention the issues of maintaining an account tied to your government name while trying to exist as a person part of communities that are being actively attacked by the U.S. government. For the people in those communities that do feel comfortable enough to still post there, you are very brave, I am not. Other than that, I do occasionally read through some communities/book clubs on Fable.

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Splashdown - Moments of Joy

2026-04-11T02:35:24Z

Artemis II. Amaze Amaze Amaze. 💚💙💜

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Weekend Update #2,430.

2026-04-05T22:16:32Z

Yesterday was very full of chores - the house was cleaned, the yard cleared of the last storm remnants and pollen pods (spoiler alert: new storms today), and then I worked on some sketching and reading before making a curried tofu dish for supper. I caught up on 4 more back episodes of WTNV,

Today we sorted out the menu planning and grocery shopping. I have managed to get chapters covered in each of the three books I am reading (Hidden Potential, The Urban Bestiary, and Silent Spring). I worked more on filling out the sketching (not really pleased with the outcome, but it's okay - you never get good at anything by avoiding it, so I am learning to settle for "good enough for what I was going for").

I also managed to secure my mom's banana bread recipe from my sister, and then reproduced it with some minor tweaks to get it vegan (all hail the flaxseed egg!). This was a little bit of fun because my sister only had a photo of the top side of the recipe card, and not the back - so I had the ingredients, but not all the instructions. But I made some deductions and it came out good! It is not very healthy, unfortunately. And alas, I swear my mother put raisins in everything. It has pecans, too. Anyway, childhood flavors unlocked. ♥

I finally took the time to unbundle the trees/plants I'd acquired (white dogwood, eastern redbuds, washington hawthorns, crabapples, and crape myrtles) and begin soaking them, and have acquired some temp soil to give them places to rest while I figure out their permanent placement according to light/shade needs.

I have managed to flesh out my weekly planner, and took time to feel out my March reflections and adjust my April goals. I am feeling moderately hopeful that this will be a good month.

I don't know that I have it in me to do NaPoeWriMo this year, but lhe local writer's group is hosting an April poetry contest. I placed 2nd the last time I entered, but I'll need to think on the topic and guidelines provided to see if I can get anything of merit together for this year's submissions.

May your week be pleasant (don't look at the news, don't look at the news, don't look at the news). ♥

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Shared Beauty

2026-03-29T13:38:45Z

I do not usually have the patience for videos, especially those longer than a minute or two, but this gorgeous experiment to capture fire burning from underneath in slow motion is genuinely beautiful.

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Friday Five: Journaling Edition

2026-03-23T12:43:10Z

From this week's thefridayfive:

1. What was the reason you began a Dreamwidth or LiveJournal account (or both)?
At the time (maybe 1999/2000?), I was working for an environmental nonprofit, and a coworker introduced me to the Livejournal site. I think they might have regretted it, as I was going through a stage of re-examining every belief I had ever been taught regarding religion, spirituality, sexuality, etc., and I wrote all the time. I changed journals there at least twice (maybe more), but settled as beuatyofgrey. I moved to DW not long after the Russian acquisition of LJ, and have undergone a few different variations here. I used to cross-post a lot, but I found the ever-changing format of the LJ site and the mods that made it more, well, modern internet...really no longer felt right.

2. How many DW or LJ communities do you subscribe to?
I'm subscribed to 39 DW communities, though the majority of them are very quiet. I haven't logged into my old LJ account in a very long time - my last visit there was simply to download and collect digital photos I had uploaded, which included many old grainy photos of my kids in their youth. I miss the old LJ communities vegan_cooking and fatshionista, though.

3. Do you have a favorite community or one you check out often to see what's new?
I enjoy awesomeers and agonyaunt, one of which provides encouragement, the other which provides advice (though I think sometimes I would never offer my own life up for examination by agonyaunt, because while the advice is sometimes quite lovely it also comes from our own limited understandings of the circumstances and decisions that led letter-writers to where they are.)

4. How did you pick your user name?
*sigh* It actually came from a quote by Neil Degrasse Tyson, which I used to have in a sidebox on my page before he was accused of sexual assault and before it became apparent that he is really quite full of himself. The quote was:

“The knowledge that the atoms that comprise life on earth - the atoms that make up the human body, are traceable to the crucibles that cooked light elements into heavy elements in their core under extreme temperatures and pressures. These stars- the high mass ones among them- went unstable in their later years- they collapsed and then exploded- scattering their enriched guts across the galaxy- guts made of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and all the fundamental ingredients of life itself. These ingredients become part of gas clouds that condense, collapse, form the next generation of solar systems- stars with orbiting planets. And those planets now have the ingredients for life itself. So that when I look up at the night sky, and I know that yes we are part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up- many people feel small, cause their small and the universe is big. But I feel big because my atoms came from those stars.”

5. If you could change your user name, would you?
Every once in a while I think about changing back to a temporary name that I used for fiction and poetry writing, but because I have already renamed my journal once, I think I am unable to rename again and it is impossible to revert to the prior name. But that's okay! I have frequently moved my journal and contents and identity throughout my life because I am constantly changing as a human, and my understanding of life and where I am at changes as well. For now, ofearthandstars still fits.

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Weekend update 2,428

2026-03-22T21:20:24Z

Yesterday we cleaned the house early (caught up on 4 more back episodes of WTNV), then went out to see Project Hail Mary at the theatre. Both L. and I have read the book, and were anxious to see how its adaptation to film went. Personally, I really enjoyed it! For starters, it's just cinematographically beautiful—the visuals and music are stunning, the portrayal of the astrophage engines and the Petrova lines was gorgeous, and Rocky's unique form and movements were handled well. You can be drawn in and forget that a large portion of the film is Ryan Gosling talking to himself and/or a puppet. The science teacher tee shirt game was also on point! But I really appreciated - other than some serious trimming down/speeding up of timelines and having to avoid some of the more notably nerdy chemistry of the book - that the film stayed fairly true to the novel. Also, I read that some folks were annoyed by the pick of Gosling, but I thought he did justice to Dr. Grace's character, especially as the film went deeper. There are few overly goofy bits, but they were overshadowed by other aspects of the film. Anyway, definitely think it is worth the watch!

Today has been much more lackluster. Budget sheet, meal planning, and grocery shopping is out of the way for the week, and I have just wrapped up our 2025 taxes. Federal are filed and in queue, the state will have to be mailed physically since we don't qualify for any of the free e-file options. I do need to work on my next 3-month goals and updating my planner, which I'll do shortly once I finally put the laptop away for the day.

It has been a beautiful weekend out, but The Pollening has seriously started in. I used to berate myself for not doing more gardening and outdoor spring planting, but the current state of being unable to touch nearly anything that has gone outside and being unable to get in and out of cars or go for walks without a physical reaction reminds me why that is.

I recently tried downloading Hoopla to see if it offered more options than Libby, but for my local library, the answer is no. I thought there was a secret trick somewhere to getting access to more library offerings for free, but at this time the most I can find is links to getting a non-resident card for an annual fee. (I mostly use my local county library for e-book offerings, but their selection is limited in a lot of ways.) I am hoping to read along with a work-based book club that has kicked off, but also do not want to necessarily need to purchase everything they cover. I do have some Bookshop.org gift money available, but I have reserved that for fun/want to reads of my own choosing.

The week ahead looks fairly quiet, except I have a therapy appointment that I am looking forward to/very much need.

May you be safe, may you be healthy and well, may you be content, and may you find beauty and joy in your present moment. ♥

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Books and Telly

2026-03-07T20:12:16Z

I finally finished reading An Immense World by Ed Yong this morning. Part of me felt guilty for taking so long, but, well, the paperback version I purchased had ridiculously tiny print, so required reading with both reading glasses + reading light, and is not something I could simply lie down and absorb passively. Also, each chapter is so full of interesting research and covers several different species and their unique senses/Umwelts, and so it is definitely a book that requires a little bit of savoring and time for adsorption. It's Ed Yong, though, so it's accessible, and views the world with Delight, which is as it should be.

I also finished up Patchwork Dolls a little bit ago. I enjoyed it, the feel of it reminded me a lot of "Tales from the Loop", but with a bit of a feminist undertone. My book reviews are saved here.

Podcast wise, I am behind in everything, but still enjoying catching up on back episodes of WTNV while cleaning. One day I will be caught up (except they keep producing -- not that I'm complaining!) That said, the Weather in one of the episodes I heard today was absolutely stunning.

<a href="https://raqia.bandcamp.com/album/raqia">RAQIA by RAQIA</a>

We are still watching "The Pitt" (♥ though the formula is predictable); "Reservation Dogs" (♥ adore, and genuinely funny); "Hacks" (decent); and "Tiny Beautiful Things" (not sure how I feel about this one yet). I'm also catching up on Grey's Anatomy (which, I know, okay, but I started that show by binging the first 8+ seasons while recovering from hip surgery and having to pass a lot of time on a stationary bike, and now I must just see it through). Also enjoying new episodes of "Bridgerton", and I do not care if L. refers to it as my smut, it is fancy woke Regency fantasy smut, and I will enjoy turning off my brain and letting myself enjoy the inanity of it all because...pretty flowers, pretty clothing, pretty peoples.

Anyhoo...the house is cleaned (~*\o/*~), the back porch is swept, and I have a little time to relax before this evening's festivities.

May you be safe, may you be happy, may you be content and at peace. ♥

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FridayFive: Snow 'Nuff

2026-03-07T15:34:40Z

From this week's thefridayfive:

1. Do you know of any other words for snow? What's your favourite and why?
The main other languages I know any of are Spanish, French, Italian, or German, so: nieve, neige, neve, or schnee. I think my favorite is just snow, though, if that's okay. The Spanish/French/Italian versions also elicit a sense of the quiet calm that comes with the event, though.

2. What's your ideal temperature range for winter?
40-56°F, with maybe a couple of days in the 20-30°F range. The cold makes me hurt.

3. Favourite winter activity? What about it makes it your favourite?
Probably making hot cocoa, because it's a special drink that everyone looks forward to, and can be a nice reward for any outdoor work. I also tend to bake more in winter, since it helps to warm the house, and we try to avoid using the oven as much as we can the rest of the year.

4. What are three things you can't do without when winter arrives?
Armwarmers, warm socks, a hot drink.

5. Do you have favourite winter holiday activities?
I love a bonfire, or even just a candle, burning through the solstice. I also love the clarity of the winter night sky, but I do not get out to enjoy stargazing as much as I used to.

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Friday Five Feelings Edition

2026-02-28T21:33:23Z

From this week's thefridayfive:

1. What made you happy this week?
I managed to knock out a fair amount of tasks at work, and also achieved some monthly goals (planning for upcoming trips/birthdays). Feeling accomplished is good.

2. What made you sad?
I can't say that I've felt particularly sad over the last week, but I've been doing a lot of continued grieving over work and personal life changes in the last year.

3. What made you angry?
The news—from Kansas, from Minnesota, from EPA, from Iran, from everywhere. I'm so tired of terrible people being terrible.

4. What are you looking forward to in the next week?
My SO has a birthday next weekend, and we'll be celebrating that as best we can.

5. What are you not looking forward to?
My daily work is a bit of a slog right now, and it's hard to stay mentally motivated and engaged.

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Morning Rage.

2026-02-26T13:40:20Z

"Today, transgender people across Kansas are reporting receiving letters from the Kansas Division of Vehicles stating that they must surrender their driver's licenses and that their current credentials will be considered invalid upon the law's publication in the Kansas Register on Thursday. Should any transgender person be caught driving without a valid license, they could face a class B misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

...In addition to the driver's license provisions, the law bans transgender people from using bathrooms matching their gender identity in public buildings and creates a bathroom bounty hunter system allowing citizens to sue transgender people they encounter in restrooms for at least $1,000 in damages, including potentially in private restrooms."

We ran Pat McCrory out of the governor's seat for a lot less.

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Books.

2026-02-22T14:44:40Z

I finished Otherworldly, and I think by the end I loved it. My review is here.

I checked out Patchwork Dolls by Ysabelle Cheung from Libby and so far, am enjoying it immensely! The first story in the collection is a wonderful exploration of a brain fungus.

I am only on finishing book 7 this year, which means I'm 10% through my reading goal. I may be a little behind, but work has kept me busier in the evenings lately.

Last night we had a line of storms move through around 4 am. I know this because lightning struck somewhere very close around that time and the thunderous boom shook the windows and woke us. The dog then shivered and practically crawled underneath me for the next hour while the heavy rain continued. Thankfully, things calmed down after that, but I did not sleep as well as I would have liked due to the atmospheric rudeness.

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Friday Five: Random Edition

2026-02-21T22:19:39Z

From this week's thefridayfive:

When did you last...

1. Scrounge for change (couch, ashtray, etc.) to make a purchase?
Hmm, good question, and I'm not sure I could give a definitive answer. I often rely on my card to make purchases, and have a little pocket on the back of my phone case where I keep it and my license, so I don't have to carry other things around. So I rarely ever have cash, much less change, unless I'm making a day of things and take my shoulder bag. The shoulder bag is where loose change and gift cards go to die and then wait for their messiah (and I am not a very good one.)

2. Visit a dentist?
I went to the periodontist just last week for a check-up. And I go again for a cleaning in a few weeks. I actually like the dentist/periodontist because you sit back and let someone else take care of you for a bit.

3. Make a needed change to your life?
I broke a pattern on June 6, 2025, just as I did on June 6, 2006, but there's still work to be done there.

4. Decide on a complete menu well in advance of the evening meal?
We meal plan every week on Sunday, then buy our groceries and hopefully (fingers crossed) do not need to leave the house again for food stuffs until the following week.

5. Spend part of the day (other than daily hygiene) totally/mostly naked?
This feels like it should have a spicier answer, but I can't remember doing this for any part of my adult years. I have always been self-conscious and am also cold-natured, so I'm usually clothed in some way.

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First Year's Hike

2026-02-15T15:08:56Z

It was a pretty stunning day yesterday, and climbed into the lower 60s. We don't do much for Valentine's, but I have been itching to get out of the house and into nature, so we decided to head to Raven Rock. Given the number of people also itching to get out after weeks of bad weather, we took the less popular Campbell Creek Loop and Lanier Falls trails. It was a perfect way to spend a few hours getting out of our heads. The air was clear and cool and fresh, but it wasn't so cold that it hurt. And it wasn't a terribly long hike - only about 5 miles, but it left us tired in a good way.

Half of the loop follows the Creek, so you are surrounded by the light burble of water and rocky outcroppings. Much of the color in the woods right now is provided by moss and the few evergreen hollies and pines. ( +3 )

Of course, we always have to climb down to the bottom of the falls to sit by the water a bit - it's the reward for completing half the loop. There's a short video of the sound of the falls here.

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The End of an Era

2026-02-13T02:12:36Z

The Endangerment Finding has been revoked.

This is just another enormously sad moment in the history of this country — and for science, for democracy, for the millions of people who will be affected by climate change in the years to come.

Although kudos to whomever entitled this article.

Potential outcomes - possibly taking years to unwind.

My heart hurts.

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Friday Five: Dream-on Edition

2026-02-08T14:56:23Z

From this week's thefridayfive:

1. What did you want to be when you were a kid?
At around 8 or 9 I knew I loved animals and wanted to be a vet, but then at some point I realized that the job required cutting into animals and seeing them in pain, and I realized that may not be for me. In late middle/early high school I was a high-acheiver academically and everyone told me that I should be a doctor, but I think I was more interested in science and math and at one point was seriously considering biology/ecology and/or meteorology. When I left for college, I had no idea what I wanted to do for certain, based on all the advice and competing interests, and it took far too long to settle on a major. I ended up turning back to atmospheric sciences, which are similar to meteorology but have more of an exploratory feel and also a direct impact to helping people. Hence I levelled out as an environmental scientist.

2. What is your proudest accomplishment so far?
At the most basic level, I have survived some awful things. Since this questionnaire seems focused on job/career and because I (unfortunately) have tied a lot of my self-image to my professional job, I would say... I was damn proud to be a part of implementing some of the first climate change regulation in the United States under the Clean Air Act and supporting subsequent climate regulation for the last fifteen years. Unfortunately, due to the consequences of November 2024, that is now all at risk of being ripped apart, which is devastating for a whole host of reasons. Where this country goes from here will dictate whether it ever survives/comes back.

3. What is your dream job?
I don't know how to answer this anymore. I had a dream job but it has been twisted and convoluted in the last year. I hate how environmentalism is politicized when it literally is about protecting the systems that support life on Earth. Sometimes I dream of becoming a park ranger, mostly because I want to be away from people and out in nature, but realistically that would require some level of BLET and also probably relocation, both of which don't actually appeal to me. Is there a place for a burnt-out and slightly-wounded person to simply take gentle care of the land and woods?

4. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I cannot even begin to speculate after the last year.

5. What does it take to make you happy?
I actually do have a strong ethical core and I want to be doing work that aligns with that. This is why I have never set my sights on a higher paying job in industry (working for a chemical or oil and gas company would be much more lucrative). But I feel like it would present as much of an ethical conflict as my current predicament, and at least my current arrangement has a chance of turning things around for good (I hope).

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Actual snow day.

2026-02-01T23:55:45Z

If you've followed any weather news on the southeastern U.S. over the last couple of days, you'll know that the Carolinas (North Carolina in particular) fell in the path of a Wintercane. There is about two feet of snow along the coast, where the winds gusted to tropical storm levels and pushed another home into the Atlantic, while creating blizzard conditions and a 100-car pile up elsewhere. The entirety of the state - all 100 counties/53,000 square miles, received some amount of winter precipitation, which is visible on satellite and something we Just Do Not Deal With.

Living just outside of Raleigh, we spent the majority of yesterday waiting out in the dreaded "dry slot", a term that makes my teeth itch, but is o.k.a. the Raleigh Dome of Doom - an area of dry air stuck between two steady pressure systems (a frequent influence of our mountains-to-sea geography) that quickly ate any snow in the upper atmosphere. After a brief flirt with fat flakes early in the morning, things dropped into a lull until around 5:30 in the afternoon, when the dome finally subcumbed to the Wintercane forces and snow and wind began to fall in earnest. It continued that way for about 10 hours, leaving us with 4-5" of the actual real, honest-to-goodness fluffy powdery joy that the rest of the world experiences (we usually are stuck schlepping around tiny mounds of soggy wet snow and kicking ice bricks). To our east and west, the totals ran several inches higher.

On waking I took a few obligatory pictures of the yard looking perfect - all the leaf litter and pine straw that makes up most of our lot was quietly subdued, and for a moment, our grass-loving wish-they-were-in-an-HOA neighbors forgot we are trying to keep things native and natural and forgave us. We tried to walk the dog (she isn't having it), and I spent a portion of the afternoon repurposing the leaf-blower as a makeshift snow clearance tool. This was only moderately successful, because despite my living up and down the east coast as a child, I do remain somewhat Southern and clueless when it comes to cold guests that arrive in large groups overnight and overstay their welcome. "Let me let you be gettin' on then" does not work in this case. So I tried to review the best means to move snow from a hilly gravel drive that is heavily shaded by trees - a gravel drive I had regraded and refreshed last summer after several summers and winters of rogue heavy storms had cut a new tributary through it. A new drive that I have hawkishly inspected after every rain since and tended to lovingly with a rake to make sure the ideal rock distribution remains to protect further erosion of the soil and our bank account.

I regret and/or may be proud to say (results pending) that I only managed to clear the top layers of snow, leaving a thin layer over the rocks that I then drug a rake over backwards (to avoid picking up rocks), creating either some minimal traction or a completely useless and innavigable work of natural art. Since there remains Unhealthy Levels of Canada™ in the region, there was no real melting today, but tomorrow is a different day. I have a rogue memory of our first snow here when the boys, still teens, compacted everything to ice in their cars and created a giant slip-in-slide to the ditch that, due to the shade, lasted a few weeks. But I am holding out hope that I have removed enough snow that any melting tomorrow will leave things in better shape. If not, may kitty litter and charcoal and our endless supply of fallen tree limbs help us all.

Of course this effort called for a celebration of hot chocolate - this is the first day post-surgery that I am allowed hot food and drinks, so a celebration was going to happen, yard work or not. I made the mistake of looking over at my neighbor's driveway (he's from Pittsburgh, and the Steelers' flag is up year round). It seems he managed to use his leafblower to turn his gravel path into an immaculate collection of rocks, not a trace of ice between them, which he emphasized by carefully backing all three of his (also immaculate) vehicles up in reverse. I assume he is using chemistry and/or dark magic. I would have offered him a hot cocoa, but I was feeling a little salty at my own deficits (why, yes, we are out of Ice Melt and salt).

After these adventures I spent some time sketching, until my eyes couldn't take it anymore. I chose the smartest subject in the home, who other than heroically pooping on the side of the house in the one untouched dry spot by the trash and recycling bins, spent the rest her day hiding under a blanket. ( rough sketch of Yoshi under her blanket )

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That New Year's Friending Meme

2026-02-01T15:00:01Z

I finally got around to the New Year's Meme at friending_memes. I'm not sure my answers perfectly encapsulate where I am right now, but I thought I'd repost here in case anyone stumbles over this space in their network.

The Basics
Name: ofearthandstars
Age: 46
Pronouns: they/their/them, sometimes she
Country: United States

The New Year
Do you have any resolutions?: I don't do hard and fast resolutions, but I do spend time planning and setting goals and habits I'd like to develop out in my planner. I think a big focus for 2026 is trying to find and/or create more beauty and joy in my life. Also trying to maintain my health/improve my strength.
Are there any new books, music, games, shows, etc. that you want to dive into?: Not specifically. I try to read at least one natural science/ecology/climate/environment book per month, and I enjoy science/climate/dystopian fiction, but I read a number of other genres as well. I started the year reading Greenwood by Michaal Christie and Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy. I keep up with my reading at both Fable and Storygraph.
Are there any small or big events that you're planning for this year?: Sadly no, although I am hoping to plan to explore some new hiking trails.
Any new interests/hobbies that you'd like to try out?: I'm trying to work to incorporate more art and creative writing in my life. I want to reteach myself to sketch well, I have let it linger a long time.
Did you accomplish your resolutions from last year?: Last year went entirely off the rails work wise and home wise, but I mostly kept my head above water, so... yes?
What were your favorite memories from the past year?: Hiking in Stone Mountain.
Do you have any new years traditions?: I'm starting to feel hideously boring here - I think I try to spend the day doing what I'd like to do more of during the year. This year we met up with a friend group and were social.
Is there anything you'd like to do more of in 2026?: More art, more writing, more confidence in my own abilities at work.

The New Friends
What kind of friend(s) are you searching for?: People who care about others, who stand against injustice, who love or feel a deep connection to nature, who are open-minded, love science and literature or learning in general, creatives, those learning from their past mistakes, those looking to heal old trauma, and those who simply are hanging on to get through each day. Though I'm not very picky, I do love fully and I want more connection in the world.
What do you like to read about?: All manner of things.
How often do you check your friends feed?: Currently, at least once a day, though I have leapt into periods of silence at time, I do always come back.
Do you have any deal-breakers?: Bigotry, xenophobia/racism, transphobia or homophobia, climate-change denialism, flat-earthers and other conspiracy theorists. I am not anti-faith by any means, but fundamentalism or attempts to convert others grind my teeth. Also I have a huge respect for animals and other species we share the planet with and their rights to exist independently of humans without harm, so if you're regularly posting or discussing hunting successes, we may not mesh well together.
Do you mind reading about fandom?: No. I am not particularly fannish in the sense that I don't write fanfic or create fan art, but I'm certainly not put off by it as it helps me to explore other words and perspectives.
If so, what fandoms would you like to read about?: Okay, fine. OFMD is very fun.

Currently...
Reading: An Immense World by Ed Yong and The People's Library by Veronica Henry
Watching: Stranger Things, The Pitt, Bridgerton, The Diplomat
Playing: With art supplies.... (I need to work on my musical influences).
Thinking about: How we survive a world which is going to change drastically under climate change without defaulting into authoritarianism/fascism and endless resource wars.
Hobby/Interest: Watercolors, sketching, writing (in general, but more poetry would be a start), hiking, vegan cooking, books in most flavors, weight-lifting, ecology, social justice, climate justice, sustainable living, mutual aid.
Planning for: The day he dies. The next bold hike. How to change and/or update a career mid-life.

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Mary Oliver - Journey

2026-01-31T15:13:40Z

Reading Mary Oliver as the snow falls — big, fat, gentle flakes, unhurried and almost deliberate in their paths.

I found Journey for the first time, and it leapt out at me. I think I have been looking for that clear new voice for some time, and how to honor it.

Poetry often feels like painting with words - stripping out the noise and excess, and finding an almost meditative state. Some days it's easy to slip in to, but other times it feels like looking for the secret key that will open up the gated garden.

For now, the wind has turned my hands to ice, and I find myself grasping, fingertips seeking the delicate filigree, the brass solid and cool against my palm — yet I am frozen, unable to clasp and pause the moment.

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Friday Five: Arctic Edition

2026-01-31T13:55:50Z

From this week's thefridayfive

How many times a day do you . . .

1. Brush your teeth?
Usually twice (morning and evening), although having just had gum grafting done I cannot brush or floss my teeth for a period until the graft has healed. This is actually a little distressing, but I have mouthwashes and sponges to use.

2. Shower?
Typically once/day, usually right after the gym. On days I don't go to the gym, I may skip depending on my ick factor.

3. Check your E-mail?
Oof, undetermined. For personal email, usually first thing in the morning, but I also have set my phone to cycle email checks each hour. I'm not staring at it all day because I usually do not carry my phone everywhere, but I do see a notification when things pop up. For work email, I have it always open in the background, but of late Outlook's web app has been slow to refresh, which creates an issue when I miss a long chain of emails looking for a quick answer. I don't see email as a "quick answer" type of communication.

4. Check LJ? (or DW?)
I'd say at least twice (morning and evening), to try to catch up on things. I let my LJ languish a long time ago, and am okay with this decision.

5. Eat?
Typically 4-5 times - 3 "main" meals (usually around 7:30a, 11:30a, and 7:30p), but also I typically have a protein bar or other snack early (1:30p) and late-afternoon (4:30p). I tend to function clearest when I eat smaller amounts spread over the day.

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January 24th, 2026 - Alex Pritti

2026-01-25T19:55:47Z

( a rough poetry drabble )

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The Current Friday Five

2026-01-17T03:00:21Z

From this week's thefridayfive:

1. If you could change one life-changing event in the life of someone important to you, would you?
Yes, 100%, if only to take away their pain. Alas, I am not a time traveler, and we know about the risks to the timeline. So I can only hope distance and time will heal the wounds.

2. Which do you think is easier to do, being friends for many years, or being life partners for many years?
Isn't this one and the same? If a life partner is not a friend of the deepest sort, then what are they? If a friend walks with you through all the periods of mistakes and despair and growths, are they not a life partner? Of course, some friends, and some life partners, are with you for only the time you get.

3. Have you ever walked away from someone you considered a friend?
I cannot recall having ever walked away from a friendship, but I have lost them, and I have chosen to not pursue lost friendships that were creating more friction than joy. If that's walking away...well, I have learned that I do not have to be loved or even liked by others to have worth. I can move forward.

4. If you had to choose between telling the truth and hurting a friend or lying and making them happy, which would you choose?
I have withheld information, which is a form of a lie, but it was to avoid harm rather than to induce happiness. My mother's voice: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I am just a pretty terrible liar with a questionable memory, so I find the truth is easiest. I've also learned so much from a group of co-workers in the last year the importance of sticking around for difficult and/or uncomfortable conversations, which I think has made me a person more honest with others and more honest with myself.

5. Which would you rather hear--the truth which will hurt, or the comforting lie?
If I am trying to walk through life living my own truth, then I would like to see yours, as well, even if it's pointy.

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An Olde Frīġedæġ Fif

2026-01-16T02:14:00Z

From a December post in thefridayfive. I've been holding onto this one for a bit, waiting on life to give me some answers.

1. What is one thing about you that you hate?
I don't know if hate is the correct word, but I have been in a years-long struggle to feel like someone who is not anxious, worried, or scared. If I'm honest I think too many hard things have been placed on these bones, but these bones are also holding it all up still, at least for the time being. But those rare days where I don't wake up with my body already buzzing with anxiety and tension, well, I want to snatch them close and keep them all to myself.

2. What is one thing about you that you love?
I care deeply about, well... most things....our Lovely Planet and all of her Inhabitants, human and non-human, flora and fauna and mineral and waters, flowing or stagnant. I try very hard to walk through the world lightly without harming others. This is an impossible feat, really, but I try. And do you know what a joy it is to love the Earth and everything about her? It is a heady wine, at times.

3. If you had to change one thing about you what would it be and why?
I'd be less hard on myself, and live with more confidence. Please give me the confidence of a mediocre white man in a white collar environment. Though if I'm honest, I have learned there is a lot of power in being vulnerable with others.

4. What is one word that you would use to define yourself?
Grounded. More as in tree roots, tangled but strong, rather than centered or balanced in any way.

5. Imagine what you would look like in a perfect world...what do you look like?
I wouldn't be me if I didn't look like me, now would I? Or maybe, since we look different from day to day and year to year, maybe I'd just like to look healthy. Although "healthy" has so many harmful judgements assigned to it - here I mean... not sickly. I want to look both soft and hard and maybe vaguely androgynous - and honestly I'm already doing that pretty well, just sittin' here in my body. Or perhaps I don't want to look like anything - well, except, it would be nice if I could look like I knew what I was doing*.

*(I do not know what I am doing, at any given time.)

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