heidi | Crowded House

HNY to all who read here.

Geraint is collecting names; so far he’s Fudge Stealer, Ratbag, Gremlin Stinky Poo Nobbs. He’s a sweetheart when quiet and a nightmare when awake and playing.

Cool Places Bangor, Gwynedd
Oblivious https://lexin.insanejournal.com/332909.html

aome

And, of course, I couldn't miss out on the annual year-end meme!

1. What did you do in 2025 that you’d never done before?
I had a lot of “firsts” this year, many of them negative, so I’ll focus on a positive one: I went to New Zealand.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Ha ha, no. Will try again this year. (My TKD grandmaster requires us to come up with at least 5 every year.)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don’t think so? I was going to say that I discovered at the annual family Christmas Eve gathering that one of my cousins had a new baby boy I’d never met, but IIRC, he’d *just* turned one, so that means he was born in Dec 2024, not this past year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I realize my posting game this year has absolutely SUCKED but I’m pretty sure I mentioned that both of my parents died this year.

5. What countries did you visit?
New Zealand <3 <3 <3

6. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?
A different President.

7. What date from 2025 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Feb 26 (Dad) and May 11 (Mom).

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Survival. :-P But, ok, I also earned my 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo in Sept.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Finishing the quilt I started over the summer. Chasing after documents to file my dad’s back taxes. I’d also say, “Landing a permanent job” but given everything else that happened, it’s honestly just as well that I had flexible part-time sub work this year.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Tiny tear in my left shoulder rotator cuff that I’ll fix ... someday. Both knees chronically hate me now, but that seems to just be age.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Boat tour tickets to see the NaPali Coast on Kauai.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration this year?
Two finally seems to be getting the hang of driving. Hopefully he’ll pass his test in 2026.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The President and his MAGA toadies. What else is new? :-P

14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel: NZ, HI (although airfare to/from the islands was mostly covered through points), and Disney. Plus – and I kid you not – SEVEN other trips to the west coast (one to Oregon, six to CA).

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Not to keep harping on it but: New Zealand. I was soooo excited, and it did not disappoint.

16. What song will always remind you of 2025?
I’m drawing a blank. Maybe something from The Great Gatsby musical? Saw it twice with Two this year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Blank-er. I feel like I really shut down emotionally this year.
ii. thinner or fatter?
The scale says I’m about the same or slightly lighter, but I’ve also lost a lot of muscle mass in the last year or two, so I’d say that the net effect is probably “slightly fatter”.
iii. richer or poorer?
Thanks to my parents, richer. Yay?

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping, reading, and crafting. And going through my parents’ stuff. Most of it is still in boxes.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Doomscrolling social media. Being appalled by the government. (I mean, I SHOULD be appalled, but I wish I hadn’t HAD to be.)

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent Christmas in CA. The day itself was low-key but cozy and we were happy how it turned out. My extended family’s annual Christmas Eve gathering was really nice.

21. How will you be spending New Year’s?
The usual – hanging out at home, maybe watching a movie, then watching the ball drop on TV.

22. Did you fall in love in 2025?
Stayed in love for the 29th year.

23. How many one-night stands?
Zero.

24. What was your favorite TV program(s)?
I don’t watch much TV these days. My husband made me watch the series “Renegade Nell” and it was cute. I’ve seen about 40 mins of “Heated Rivalry.”

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Copying last year’s answer: Nope, I think I hate MAGA nation, anti-trans politicians, and abortion-blocking politicians as much as last year.

26. What was the best book you read?
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelly
Salt by Mark Kurlansky
Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest
In Gad We Trust by Josh Gad
The Ragpicker King by Cassie Clare
The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
Twenty-Four Seconds From Now by Jason Reynolds

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Well, a friend literally JUST sent me the link to a song about a miniature T-rex, sung to the tune of “Modern Major General,” and it’s AWESOME.

28. What did you want and get?
Travel. Stuff on my wishlist.

29. What did you want and not get?
For someone else to deal with all my parents’ red tape. :-P

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Both halves of Wicked. Zootopia 2.

31. What did you do on your birthday?
I ... honestly don’t remember anymore. Dinner out, probably. But I do remember that MiniPlu TOTALLY surprised me by driving down the night before, so she could spend my birthday with me. <3

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Literally almost anyone else as President. Also, if I could have sold my parents’ homes to a family that intended to live there, and not been essentially forced to accept a house-flipper in both cases.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2025?
Same as always: Comfortable.

34. What kept you sane?
Husband.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Not a big celeb watcher.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Same as the past two years: Anti-trans bills, especially those targeting children. Book banning attempts. Anything involving any mention of The Cheeto or his bootlickers. Genocide of Palestinians.

37. Who did you miss?
I miss sharing things with my mom that I know she would have liked. Many times, she’s the only other person I know who would have appreciated something.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Can’t think of anyone.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025:
1) Put all your worldly goods (house, bank accounts, etc) in a trust. Makes it SO much easier for the executor to have access to what they need once you’re gone.
2) Most of us have way too much junk in our homes.
3) If you can afford to pre-pay for your casket/burial plot or cremation, do it. Again, it will make life much easier for your survivors, especially if they don’t live near you.
4) Share the stories. Good ones. Bad ones. Big moments in your life. Funny little moments. Don’t let family history disappear if you think someone down the line might want to know.

And now for the books:
2024 books
2023 books
2022 books
2021 books
2020 books
2019 books
2018 books
2017 books
2016 books
2015 books
2014 books
2013 books
2012 books
2011 books
2010 books
2009 books
2008 books
2007 books
2006 books
2005 books

( 2025 books )

I don't feel like it's as many books as I've managed the past couple of years, but it isn't terrible, either. I really need to read more books in print/Kindle form, and not doomscrolling's so much. :-P

Since I didn't do reviews of any books this year, feel free to ask about anything on the list.

aome

*dusts off journal*

I don't really know what to say about my absence except that my attention span felt short so I gravitated more to FB and IG this year. This is something I'm hoping to improve on for 2026, because I miss you guys.

So, to sum up my year:
January: Visited Mom (this made visit #4 since the week of Thanksgiving 2024), and had her car shipped out to NJ, as she decided she wasn't likely to be driving anymore, and Two needed an automatic-shift car to learn to drive (again). Also substituted a lot. Had MRI of L knee because PT wasn't really helping.

( The other 11 months )

And here we are.

denise posting in

dw_maintenance

Привет and welcome to our new Russian friends from LiveJournal! We are happy to offer you a new home. We will not require identification for you to post or comment. We also do not cooperate with Russian government requests for any information about your account unless they go through a United States court first. (And it hasn't happened in 16 years!)

Importing your journal from ЖЖ may be slow. There are a lot of you, with many posts and comments, and we have to limit how fast we download your information from ЖЖ so they don't block us. Please be patient! We have been watching and fixing errors, and we will go back to doing that after the holiday is over.

I am very sorry that we can't translate the site into Russian or offer support in Russian. We are a much, much smaller company than LiveJournal is, and my high school Russian classes were a very long time ago :) But at least we aren't owned by Sberbank!

С Новым Годом, and welcome home!

EDIT: Большое спасибо всем за помощь друг другу в комментариях! Я ценю каждого, кто предоставляет нашим новым соседям информацию, понятную им без необходимости искать её в Google. :) И спасибо вам за терпение к моему русскому переводу с помощью Google Translate! Прошло уже много-много лет со школьных времен!

Thank you also to everyone who's been giving our new neighbors a warm welcome. I love you all ❤️

musesfool

December 2025 recs update:

unfitforsociety has been updated for December 2025 with 12 story recs and 1 vid rec in 7 fandoms:

* 5 Batfamily
* 2 Dungeon Crawler Carl
* 2 The Pitt
* 2 Star Wars
* 1 Slow Horses/Rivers of London crossover and 1 Ted Lasso vid

I haven't read much of anything from

yuletide, but the two I did rec I will update with author names tomorrow.

I didn't do much fannishly this year - the recs continue, and I still reblog a metric fuckton of stuff on tumblr, but my brain hasn't sparked to write again, though I think it might be inching closer, thanks to, of all things, Dungeon Crawler Carl. I also loved loved loved The Pitt and am so excited season 2 is coming so soon!

Now, I've got a new episode of Percy Jackson and the series finale of Stranger Things to watch, and then I have to wash my hair.

I hope everyone is celebrating New Year's Eve in their chosen fashion. <333

*

My Everchanging Moods productive
Now That's What I Call... Skeleton Key - Dessa

seleneheart posting in

dw_community_promo

bookclub_dw is a monthly reading club where community members take turns choosing a book to read for the month and then moderating a discussion about the book at the end of the month.

We are currently voting on the book for January 2026 here: https://bookclub-dw.dreamwidth.org/995.html

rivkat

Uketsu, Strange Houses: ( floor plans )

Jim Butcher, Out Law: ( Harry helps out Marcone )

Freya Marske, Cinder House: ( ghost Cinderella )

Seanan McGuire, Through Gates of Garnet and Gold: ( Wayward children reunite )

Kai Butler, The Earl and the Executive: ( space Regency m/m romance )

Olga Ravn, The Employees: ( weird crew )

James Islington,( the first two books of an engaging trilogy about a Marty Stu )
Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry: ( yep, that's what I expected )

Vajra Chandrasekera, Rakesfall: ( reincarnation sf )

Isaac R. Fellman, The Two Doctors Górski: ( Yeah, it's Dark Academia )

Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, The Salvage Crew: ( a human in a ship's body but not Anne McCaffrey )
Barbara Truelove, Of Monsters and Mainframes: ( monsters in space )

Jim Hines, Slayers of Old:( BtVS, but retired )

Neal Shusterman, Scythe: ( remember that Star Trek episode where they wouldn't use birth control? )

epeeblade

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

epeeblade

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

flareonfury posting in

dw_community_promo

gamechangerhr is a Game Changers Book series/Heated Rivalry TV series dreamwidth community.
We also accept Rachel Reid's other Hockey Romance books! :)
Fanworks, discussions, meta, recs, etc are welcomed here!
Rules are on the profile!

Our Friending Meme is HERE.

twistedchick

In the US, performers have the right to decide if they want to represent a person, a place, a cause, or not. And NO means NO, as the managers of the renamed Trump-Kennedy Center are learning.

luthien

Here's a bunch of recs from this year's Yuletide, starting with my two gifts, for Bookish and Murderbot:

What They Imagined (1629 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Bookish (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Gabriel Book & Trottie Book
Characters: Trottie Book, Gabriel Book, Jack Blunt, Felix (Bookish)
Additional Tags: Character Study, Introspection, Slice of Life, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Queer Families, Post-World War II, Grief/Mourning, Healing, Platonic Life Partners, Platonic Cuddling, Attempts at historical accuracy regarding early to mid century wallpaper trends, Timeline What Timeline
Summary: Jack asked the question on a Tuesday.

In which Trottie reflects on war, wallpaper, family, and the meaning of home.

Comment: A lovely character study of Trottie and her personal history, both in relation to Book and otherwise, and with some great period wallpaper (and other) details.

new (100 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Murderbot (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ayda Mensah & Murderbot (Murderbot)
Characters: Ayda Mensah (Murderbot), Murderbot (Murderbot)
Additional Tags: Episode 6, Missing Scene, Yuletide Madness Drabble Invitational
Summary:

On the flight back to the habitat, Ayda was short of breath, not just from fear about what might be waiting for them, but from what they’d done.

Comment: This drabble captures Ayda Mensah perfectly in 100 words.

( Recs for Dungeon Crawler Carl – Matt Dinniman, Soulmate Goose of Enforcement, Galaxy Quest, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams, Hornblower (TV), Knives Out (Movies), Princess Bride, Rivers of London – Ben Aaronovitch, Slow Horses (TV) under here )

lexin

Garaint's booster shots went fine, but we must change Opal's food.

Cool Places Home (Bangor)
Oblivious https://lexin.insanejournal.com/332598.html

musesfool

The first lines of each month meme, 2025 edition:

( 2025 first lines from each month )
***

My Everchanging Moods cold
Now That's What I Call... Rangers vs Canes on tv

rionaleonhart

Last year, I posted a reflection on my favourite characters of 2024. It was a lot of fun, so I thought I'd do the same thing again!

As with 2024, I'm going to take a quick look at the preexisting favourites who've particularly occupied my mind this year, and then I'm going to comb through my 'first impressions' tag and give my favourite character from each canon I first posted about in 2025. (If no favourite character comes to mind, I'll skip the canon.) I might also cover a couple of canons I've tried out this year but haven't yet posted about.

( My favourite characters of 2025. )

Dexter is a surprising omission here! I watched a lot of that show earlier in the year, but I just don't have an answer to the 'who's your favourite character?' question. I like Deb, but not passionately enough to say with confidence that she's my favourite; I find Dexter interesting, but I can't say for certain whether I like him. I tend to be a very character-focused fan, so it's always a little surprising to me when I get into something without latching strongly on to any of the characters.

loup_noir

I've always been a fan of cartoons, pardon me, animations, anime, graphic novels. The freedom that that artwork gives a story, especially a good one, ignores all fleshly restrictions. What's making me happy right now? Hazbin Hotel on Prime is.

The Princess of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar's daughter Charlie (Why Charlie? That's a question I'd like to ask the creator of the show.) believes in redemption, and she wants to help the damned achieve that state. With songs! Angst! And surprisingly good Catholic dogma, says the very lapsed Catholic here. It was fun as it was, but when the Seraphim showed up with all the eyes, I was in for the ride.

I had no expectation that it would survive for a second season, but it did and the storyline continued to be good. In many ways, it has A Knight's Tale feeling. There's a silly, shiny layer, but there's also a lot of history holding it together. All that reading for my Durmstrang series on the levels of heaven and hell, who inhabits where, etc. made Hazbin a lot more fun.

What was completely new to me was the fandom. Amazon has Hazbin Hotel Live on Broadway. All the voice actors, a lot of the songs, and wonderful, lingering shots of the fans, who know all the words and motions to the songs and many wearing fantastic costumes. The Alastors were especially good.

youtu.be/G1C1MFv7CKU Hope that works. It's a link to the show-stopper for S2. If you haven't seen the series, Lute (again, why that name?) is the angel, the dark male figure is Adam (as in Adam and Eve), and the angel at the door is Abel.

lexin

Geraint has blotted his copybook and no mistake. He scratched

aunty_marion. I think she quite liked him until then. He is quite an unpredictable cat. He’s due at the vets to get his booster shots tomorrow.

Opal has a big area on her back where she’s bitten all her fur off. She looks a mess and I’m going to try to get her to the vet as soon as I’m paid again, because I have no idea what to do for her.

Cool Places Bangor, Gwynedd
Oblivious https://lexin.insanejournal.com/332392.html

ysabetwordsmith posting in

dw_community_promo

birdfeeding is a community started on January 1, 2023. It's all about birdfeeding, birdwatching, and other topics relating to birds. It also touches on nature in general, and observations that may effect bird activity such as local weather. Both text and image posts are welcome. Now is a great time to join as hungry birds are easy to attract with a feeder.

Community resources include posts about birding events, nurseries that sell seeds or plants attractive to birds, bird identification apps, the benefits of birdwatching, and other useful materials. Check out the anchor posts from Three Weeks for Dreamwidth.

Recent posts:

Photos: House Yard

Christmas Bird Count

Birds

My Everchanging Moods busy

loup_noir

2025 can go now. It wasn't that bad, but it was annoying. For me, there were physical issues. My back, my shoulder, my elbow, and most came from a couple of bad falls on one pelagic birding trip. I now know that it takes about three months for that particular soft tissue injury(ies) to heal up, and it doesn't help if you're a klutz and fall down again after tangling feet in a hose and then a blackberry cane. Currently finishing up a back episode. Seriously, universe, I'm only sixty-five. Not going to go into the current state of politics.

The state had a huge storm system. Power went out all over, not just here, but here it was out for almost a week. Yeah, we have a generator, a generator on what sounds like its last few uses. The FiL bought it during the lead up to Y2K. Not sure if he ever used it, but we certainly have. The WBH isn't eager to buy another, but when you live where we do, it's either a generator, a propane back-up, or pretending you live in the 19th Century.

I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I hate breaking promises to myself or anyone else, and let's face it, most resolutions never make it past January. Goals. I like goals, especially goals you can check off.

The last few things I've read have been cookbooks. I need more ways to use fruit, and a retired caterer friend has been making suggestions. There's only one small crate of apples left, and they've gone mushy and tasteless. See, if I had more recipes, I could throw out less and probably have to buy more jars.

I haven't seen anything I feel comfortable recommending lately. We tried "Cemetery Road," which was not bad until the last couple of episodes, when we yelled at the characters for being stupid. Currently, it's "House of Guinness." I've stopped paying attention to the plot in favor of enjoying the costumes and set dressing. Any recs for things streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple +?

My Everchanging Moods grumpy

musesfool

Christmas was lovely! On Christmas Eve, it was just me, my sister, and my brother-in-law, so we ordered in and watched a godawful Hallmark Christmas movie with Teri Hatcher in it. Then they went to bed and I did a Die Hard rewatch - I hadn't seen it in some number of years and for all its flaws, it is still a good time.

Christmas morning, my niece and her husband came over so Baby Miss L could unwrap the first set of presents - she still gets bored with it and wants to play with whatever she's opened instead of opening the next gift, so it's a process - and she LOVED the 30 second dance party button, as I knew she would. I am SO HAPPY I saw it somewhere (Wirecutter, maybe?) and ordered it, and that it arrived in time for me to see her play with it. (The adults got a kick out of it too, but it was hilarious watching her run up and press it each time it ended.) She liked the dinosaur cape and the books (especially "The Little Book of Cheese," which is in the same series as "The Little Book of Pasta," which I got for her last year and which she LOVES - apparently she will just bust out with "FARFALLE!" at any given moment), but did not care about the wings at all. Also when Alyssa told her I would be there, she said, "books!" so she knows I am the books and clothes aunt. *g*

The while elephant swap was pretty hilarious too, and my niece Nicki ended up with the cat-shaped measuring cups and spoons that were my contribution. I got a waterproof bluetooth speaker I'm going to have to set up in the bathroom to have tunes in the shower.

The funfetti cupcakes were a big hit. (I made sure to put cream cheese frosting on the ones for my sister; she tried one with the American buttercream and made the same face I made when I tasted it - it's disgustingly sweet.) There's picture of this year's selection here.

As for gifts, I received a handful of gift cards, a KRYPTO squishmallow from Baby Miss L, a pair of earrings made from chips of vintage pyrex, a stand mixer tree ornament, a copy of Dorrie's Anytime Cakes, some candles, and a pair of super warm and fuzzy grippy socks. I also bought myself a new winter coat, a new 9 x 13" pyrex baking dish, a new vibrator, some new bras, and a new pair of black ankle boots, so I'm doing all right in the gift department. *g*

Yesterday, I got home early and vegged out for most of the day. And then it snowed, just like they said it would!

Today, I made a new batch of dough and tomorrow I'll finish baking off the fig cookies for this year. I also want to try those orange cranberry rolls now that I have room in the fridge to let them rise overnight. I still have so many eggs left over, though, so I see at least one frittata in my future, plus at least one batch of Nadiya's egg wraps, which are delicious and I recommend them highly!

Now I should look into having dinner and maybe watching the Rangers game.

*

My Everchanging Moods hungry
Now That's What I Call... Golden - Huntr/x

pegkerr

Eric had surgery last Friday and needed to have someone accompany him and stay with him for twenty-four hours afterward. The aftercare turned out to be a bit more intense than expected afterward, and so I ended up staying at his place all weekend to assist him.

We were very quiet together. It occurred to me on Sunday, as we sat together in his living room, drinking coffee and looking out the living room window at the winter landscape, that it was the winter Solstice. A year ago on the winter Solstice, I was hosting a solstice party. If I had been at home, I would have lit all my candles to mark the day. Being with him on that day as he was recovering seemed fitting.

The winter solstice is a time for deep rest and healing, for reflection and resilience.

He is feeling much better now and counts the surgery as a success.

Image description: A window with a winter view outside. A pair of feet clad in red and white striped socks are propped up on the windowsill beside a red mug with a steaming hot beverage. A hand holding a couple of pills hovers above the feet.

Rest

51 Rest

Click on the links to see the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.

My Everchanging Moods peaceful

kiwiria

A bit early, I know, but none of my current books seem like they're likely to shove any of these off the list, so here we go! New discoveries only - rereads don't count. All links go to goodreads.

The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady - Sharon Mondragón Probably the best book I've read all year. Definite shades of "The Yada Yada Prayer Group" and had me itching to go cast on a prayer shawl right away!

Going Overboard - Portia Mc Portia Mc is a bit hit-and-miss for me, but this time she blew it out of the park! No third-act breakup, some of my favourite chick-lit tropes and one of my all-time favourite settings. What's not to like?!

Nobody's Girl - Virginia Roberts Giuffre One of the very few non-fictional books I've read this year. Heartbreaking and sadly relevant. Very interesting read.

The Naturalists - Jennifer Lynn Barnes The FBI BAU for teenagers X-D Completely unrealistic of course, but a fun and easy read. I really enjoyed the rest of the series as well, but figured I should just stick to one of the books here.

Lykkeriddere - Claus Holm I've always been a fan of Claus' books, and this is his best so far! "Treasure Island" meets "Our Flag Means Death". I loved every minute of it, and can't wait for the sequel!

Family for Beginners - Sarah Morgan An adorably sweet book that had the added bonus of having people actually communicate, instead of forcing a third-act breakup on us! Great comfort read.

The Enchanted Greenhouse - Sarah Beth Durst Even better than "The Spellshop"! I love the cozy fantasy genre, and this is one of the best I've come across :-D

The Christmas Tree Farm - Laurie Gilmore Christmas rom-com that's heavier on the "romcom" bit than the "Christmas" bit, but a sweet story all the same. At the end of the day, it's nothing special, but it was the right book at the right time for me :-)

Delilah Green Doesn't Care - Ashley Herring Blake Really, really cute book! And while I loved seeing the romance develop, what really made the book for me (other than the precocious kid of course!) was seeing Delilah start to make friends and set down roots. I loved her chemistry with Iris and Ruby!

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping - Sangu Mandanna I really want to go visit Sera's inn now! I loved reading about the inhabitants, and of Sera's quest to find the spell that would restore her magic. The ending was perhaps a bit too easy, but I loved everything about it up until that point, so it still deserves a spot on this list.

yuletide_admin_feed

Posted by morbane

https://yuletide-admin.livejournal.com/301777.html

There's a new post up on the Yuletide Admin comm regarding Yuletide Madness Is Live. Please note that there may have been a delay between that post and this crosspost.

You can go through to DW to check the details:

Dreamwidth Post

If you have follow-up questions, they can be asked in the DW comment section using a DW login, OpenID with another login, or a signed anonymous comment.

https://yuletide-admin.livejournal.com/301777.html

ashkitty

Outside revisiting old fics, I've been at my parents for the better part of a week. It's been a lot of work, but I love Christmas and I love my family, so I'm happy to be able to do things for them.

My mom got to come home today. After the long-term care hospital she was in a skilled nursing facility for a while, getting OT and PT to build her strength back up. Recovery takes a long time (I read somewhere you should assume a month of recovery for every week you were bedridden - I don't expect this to take a whole seven years, but it's fine if it's slow going for a while). She's still in a wheelchair a lot of the time and likely will be for a while. We went to church, and everyone was very kind. The point is that she's home for Christmas, which is the one thing I wanted most.

Nadolig llawen, friends. I hope you all have whatever sort of holiday you like best.

ashkitty

Day 12! We made it!

We end where we began, with Star Trek. This is the first K/S Advent fic I wrote, and the most enduring. I loved being able to make a world that is completely strange, completely alien, and to give the Enterprise a mission where while there is danger, there’s nothing trying to attack or harm them. Space is dangerous, but also wondrous, and the crew should get to enjoy that sometimes.

Snowflakes (Star Trek Reboot, Kirk/Spock, G)

‘Spock was already pulling out his tricorder. "It appears to be...life, Jim. Plant life," he said slowly. Spock had a lot of ways of speaking slowly. There was the way that meant he was thinking, and the way that meant he was thinking Jim was an idiot. There was a way that meant he was absolutely determined not to laugh, and a way that meant he was still processing something shocking. This was a new one, though, Jim thought. It was almost wonder.’

Song: O Holy Night

Rec: Wizards in Winter by Vibishan (Calvin & Hobbes/Young Wizards, G)

The one where Calvin becomes a wizard. I don't know what else to say about it beyond that - but look, you know (if you know Young Wizards) that the younger the wizard, the more raw power. And that wizards are offered the Oath when they're needed. Anyway, I knew from the beginning this was the rec I wanted to end on.

Merry Christmas.🎄🎁❄️

Back to Day 11.

yuletide_admin_feed

Posted by morbane

https://yuletide-admin.livejournal.com/301385.html

There's a new post up on the Yuletide Admin comm regarding Yuletide 2025 Anonymous Period. Please note that there may have been a delay between that post and this crosspost.

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Posted by morbane

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There's a new post up on the Yuletide Admin comm regarding Yuletide 2025 is live!. Please note that there may have been a delay between that post and this crosspost.

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ellen_fremedon

Happy Yuletide! I got an excellent Impromptu fic from my Mystery Writer!

la femme comme il (en) faut (3283 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Impromptu (1991), 19th Century CE RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: George Sand (1804-1876), Franz Liszt, Eugène Delacroix, Duchess Claudette d’Antan, Pauline Viardot, Gustav Courbet
Additional Tags: french romantic era, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:

“That Duchess, what’s her name, is at your door,” remarked Liszt, looking down into the street. It was a nasty, windy November afternoon, with rubbish scudding down the avenues and rain threatening in the east, terrible for making calls. “The one with a thing for artists.”

“Oh, balls,” George said, and threw down her hookah pipe.

A story about hanging out with artists, highly recommended for anyone who likes hanging out with artists. Thank you so much, mystery writer!

And I wrote one story this year. I will make my usual offer of a drabble to anyone who guesses it before reveals, but this is basically me offering a drabble to everyone, because boy howdy is it obvious which story is mine.

musesfool

Ganache: made!
Cupcakes: frosted!
Bags: packed!
Garbage: taken out!
Dishwasher: running!
Me: showered, dressed, and waiting for my ride!

Whew!

It is all done and packed and only the last anxiety-inducing part - waiting for the car and schlepping everything down to the car - is left.

There were ZERO frosting explosions this year, though I did need to re-whip the strawberry buttercream, so I left it for last. There are still a bunch of stuff in the sink to be washed on Friday, but all the containers that...contained frosting are in the dishwasher, so they won't be all gross upon my return.

I did miscount and make one extra package of cupcakes, so I just addressed it to Baby Miss L - I'm sure her parents will love that. 😉 Also, the last gift I ordered for her - very late - is allegedly going to be delivered today! It's the 30 second dance party button! Which looks so fun and since I know Baby Miss L loves a dance party, it seemed like fate that I should get it for her.

I have only been skimming ye olde flist, but once I'm back home on Friday, all obligations are met and the next week is mine to do with as I will, so I will try to be more present here.

Merry Christmas to those who are celebrating! Happy Yuletide to those of you participating! And happy hump day to everyone else! See you on the flip side!

( 6-day plan, day 6 )

***

My Everchanging Moods relieved
Now That's What I Call... the dishwasher on "heavy" mode

ashkitty

Almost to the end! So the thing with the Arthurian legend is that you can write almost anything, but it still ends badly. This story stops before that happens, but it’s still hovering in the background, casting its shadow. Still, I very much enjoyed writing it (hey, sometimes you’re a PhD student working on Arthurian literature and just happen to draw ‘Arthurian legend’ in Yuletide).

I don’t have a lot of OT3s – my affection for codependent couples doesn’t really lend itself to polyamory – but this one has always been formative. I think I read T. H. White in high school and thought, Aha! So that’s what’s going on! and ended up years later doing queer stuff with medieval knights for an actual job. Anyway it’s not a long read – I want to keep it short because I’m sure the holiday season is really getting busy by now – but I hope you enjoy it.

The Art of Courtly Love (Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere, Arthurian Legend)
Rated M

‘It was Christmas night, so the king and queen held a feast. The hall was trimmed with holly and mistletoe above the doors, and a poet from the North had sung of heroes and lovers. Arthur sat in the centre of the high table with Guinevere and Lancelot on his left and his right. The stewards had brought in the second subtlety, the Blessed Virgin standing atop a map of the world with a gilded model of Camelot in her cupped hands.’

Song: Personent Hodie (Mediæval Bæbes version). Attested in a 16th-century Finnish hymbook, it seems to come from a 14th-century song and who knows prior to that. Not the oldest medieval Christmas hymn I have, but one that catches the feeling of the fic better than some others.

Rec: So Pleasing a Thing by Raja815.(Star Trek TOS, Kirk/Spock)
Rated T

This follows Kirk and Spock after they've sorted themselves out post-Gol and post-V'ger and got married, but both being devoted to their careers as well as each other, they have some rough patches. What I love is how the author shows the difficulties they're facing, without being melodramatic--just the very real tensions of two overworked people who are devoted to their vocations as well as to each other; there are cultural differences and errors of ignorance, but the depth of their love is never actually in question.

Back to Day 10 | On to Day 12

musesfool

I just cleaned off the kitchen counter and put the last bowl/spatulas in the sink to soak (the dishwasher is already running, and all the cupcakes are cooked and 4 out of 5 frostings are made (I just finished the strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream) - tomorrow I will make the ganache and possibly also a whipped ganache (I've never done it with butter in it - does that make it more buttercream-ish?) just to change things up a bit.

Today, I baked the strawberry (doubled to make 80), apple cider (60), and funfetti (doubled to make 80) cupcakes - there could have been more funfetti, but not enough to fill a whole pan, so I didn't bother. I added cinnamon bits from King Arthur to the apple cider ones and dipped them in maple cinnamon sugar, which is a change, one that hopefully people will like.

I also discovered that the cupcake carriers I've had sitting in a box under a chair in my living room for a few months are the wrong size (they are for standard-sized cupcakes) so I only have 10 mini ones and I need 13, so I will use the some foil lasagna pans for my brother and sister and one of the kids - they'll get a few more cupcakes out of it, since the carriers hold 2 dozen but the 9 x 13" tray fits about 30. *hands* I'm just glad I still have a pack of them left to use; otherwise, I'd have been up a creek.

Tomorrow is Pipe-a-palooza 7: The Pipening! (yeah, it's kind of shocking to me I've been doing cupcakes for 7 years now - I started in 2019 - but I like it more than the chocolates [and it's also less time-consuming than the chocolates were] and I can't do ice creams anymore due to logistics, though they remain my all-time favorite of the homemade Christmas gifts I've done over the years.) Wish me luck! It's always the hardest part for me. Hopefully I will remember to take pictures to share afterwards.

Whoops, I started this entry an hour ago and got distracted by stuff like packing my overnight bag and refilling my water bottle etc. so I'm just gonna hit post now and work up the energy to go wash my hair.

***

( 6-day plan, day 5 )

***

My Everchanging Moods relieved
Now That's What I Call... Ranges vs Caps on tv

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Posted by morbane

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There's a new post up on the Yuletide Admin comm regarding 36 Hours to Reveals. Please note that there may have been a delay between that post and this crosspost.

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kiwiria

... and in case embedding doesn't work, here's the direct link instead.

Prayer and a Bible - Megan Woods
As always I have to start off this list with a recommendation from Simon as he always sends me links to the best songs. I think this might be my favourite of his recommendations this year. It's not my usual fare, but it's just got a certain charm that I can't resist.
And I found healin' / In those ancient words of wisdom
I found what I was missin' / Livin' on a prayer and a Bible

Buzzkill - Lanie Gardner
I have absolutely no memory of how I came across this song, but I love its energy. I think I heard it in a TV series, and immediately used soundhound to add it to my list ... but my google skills are coming up short, so it might just have been that I heard it on the radio instead.

Take Me to Church - Hozier
So, I've been living under a rock, and only actually heard this song this year. A good friend of mine would quote it whenever I mentioned going to church on a given Sunday, and I had NO idea what he was talking about ... until I suddenly heard it on TikTok one day, and went "Oh ... OH!!!"

... so now I tease him that I automatically think of him whenever I hear it ;-)

Affirmation - Savage Garden
Before we left for New Zealand, Henriette and I made a joint playlist to listen to on our long drives. We ended up vastly underestimating how long time we'd spend in the car, and probably listened to it 6 or 7 times all the way through! This was one of Henriette's additions, and I'm back in the car, driving through gorgeous scenery whenever I listen to it.

idk - Allison Eide
A random TikTok find, but I was instantly hooked. It's got a good rhythm, and I really like the message. I might not know the answers to everything - but I know the one who'll see me through it all.

The Life of a Showgirl - Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift seems to be a bit hit-and-miss for me, but every now again she releases a song that I just can't resist. I don't know that I would even have heard this, if it hadn't been for a friend sending me the spotify link, but for awhile there we'd constantly quote it to each other, and now it's just a firm part of my 2025 soundtrack.

I'm Always Talking to Jesus - Newsong
Another recommendation from Simon, and one where I actually want to be able to say "I'm in this picture and I ~~don't~~ like it." I'm okay at the talking part - less so at the listening.
I'm always talking to Jesus / And He's always talking to me
A comfort again and again / Oh, what a friend
He's always listening
I'm always talking to Jesus / Telling him all of my troubles
I know: wherever I go, I'm not alone / He always hears me

New Heart - Crash Adams
Another song I found thanks to TikTok - I first heard the version where Sophie Powers freestyled a rap as one of the verses, and that version is still my favourite, but unfortunately not available on Spotify. It is ridiculously catchy, and I get the chorus stuck in my mind at the drop of a hat ... but I love it all the same.

A Feeling We Can't Hide - Lyra Vesperi
Simon introduced me to Lyra just a few months ago, and I immediately fell in love. The music is so catchy, and could easily work as a soundtrack to a cartoon I used to read as a child ("Elverfolket" to any other Danes out there). I had a VERY hard time deciding which song to choose, and could just as easily have picked "Dance Upon the Green", "Your Only World" or "An Oath Made in Ale" but ended with this one, as it's the one that most consistently has me tapping my foot in response.

Goodbye Yesterday - Elevation Rhythm & Gracie Binion
We sang this at Arc Church Copenhagen the Sunday my sisters and I visited, and I couldn't get it out of my head afterwards.
You rescued me out of the mess I was in
You traded my sorrow for something to sing
Now, I'm dancin' on the grave that I once lived in

Free Like - Maddie & Tae
This has almost the same vibe to it as "Shoot Tequilla" by Tigirlily Gold which was on my list a few years ago. Instant add :-D

Dusty Bible - The River Sons
Another recommendation from Simon. In fact, there were quite a number of songs I could have added by The River Sons, but this one ended up being my favourite. Even when we stop talking to him, God is never far away - "he just sits idle".

Like Jesus - Ross King
I have a feeling Simon is even more heavily represented on this list than usual X-D Because yes, this is a recommendation from him too. The lyrics by themselves instantly earned them an inclusion on this list.
wanna be like Him when He tells the Pharisees the depth of their own sin
But I don't really wanna be like Jesus, later
When He dies for them

I refuse to pick and choose / The parts of Jesus that are easiest to bow down to
And I won't use / His name in vain to prove
Who I want Him to be / That's just idolatry
I wanna be like Jesus
I don't want Him to be like me

DON'T - LØLØ
Okay, first of all - WHAT is up with English-speaking people using Ø instead of O??? I've seen it so many places, and it makes me roll my eyes every time. Ø is its own letter with its own sound, people!!! It's not just a fancy way of writing O.
... Aaaaaaanyways ...
A random TikTok find that immediately appealled to me. Weirdly enough the singer reminds me a LOT of the actress who plays the mother in "How I Met Your Mother".

God of Promises - Newsboys
I've loved Newsboys ever since I first discovered them back in 1996. I even got to hear them in concert at a music festival in New Zealand. So I'm always pleased when I see that they release something new.

I See a Light - We Are Messengers
Picking just one song by We Are Messengers was hard y'all!! At one point I think I had four or five contenders. But "Joy Comes in the Morning" has always been one of my go-to comforts, so at the end of the day, I knew this song had to make the cut.
When the night comes / Hope is still bright.
Tears may fall in the evening / But joy comes in the light.

Matter to You - We Are Messengers
... I couldn't stick to just one though. The entire album "Where the Joy Is" is worth a listen, but these were my two favourites. Once again these songs come curtesy of Simon, which I guess comes as a surprise to absolutely nobody ;-)
All I really want is to matter to you.

Close - We Are Messengers
I know, I know!!! But you guys, the lyrics to this one!!! This is a longer quote than I usually add, but give it a read anyways.
God, You know the the tears I've cried / And the times I couldn't breathe
Oh, You never left my side / So I rest here at Your feet
I know You're working all things for my good / In the way that only You could
Maybe the why just don't matter / What if it's not for me to know
Maybe the point is just to trust You / Find the faith to let it go
Cause sometimes falling feels like flying / It's the only way I know
So I won't hurry through the heartache / If it's what it takes
To draw me close

Make America Danish - Maximillian Tee
I kept wavering about whether or not to add this song - another TikTok find, made popular in the beginning of the year, when Trump first started talking about purchasing Greenland. It somehow seemed too silly to deserve a place on this list ... but honestly, isn't silly exactly what we need sometimes?
Forget fast food, we're bringing the charm
Butter cookies and Carlsberg on every farm
Make America Danish, it's time to reboot.
Redesign the White House, make it cute

God Is With Us - The Afters
Simon sent this to me waaaay back in January, and I immediately teared up when reading the lyrics - but had no idea how much they would come to mean to me. The message is much the same as "Closer" by We Are Messengers, so I considered only adding one of them - but they approach it so differently, so in the end, I had to include both.
Where is God in the heartache?
Where is God in the fear?
Where is God when it hurts so bad that you can't hold back the tears?
Where is God in the sickness that the prayers didn't fix?
When it don't make sense, where is God in all of this?
Haven't we all had times where we ponder this question?
He is right here where He's always been
He never left, and He never will
Where is God?
God is with us
He is right hеre where Hе's always been
It's where He'll be 'til the very end
Where is God?
God is with us

Lost in the Weeds - Christian Music Creations
Changing music styles completely. I don't know if it's quite right to call this 'country', but it's definitely more country'ish than I usually listen to, yet there is something about it that just appeals to me.
I was lost in the weeds / but you found me there.

The Carousel Waltz - Richard Rodgers
And finally, a bit of an unusual addition as I don't often include classical music here. But thanks to a friend of mine, I fell in love with this arrangement over the year, and thought it a fitting conclusion to my playlist.

ashkitty

A tricky one. This was written for Yuletide, but is not, technically, a Christmas fic. But a large and important section of it does happen over the Christmas holidays, so I have decided it’s close enough, especially since it means I made it to 12 without having to dig out old Gundam fic from the back of a closet. Also, I’m pretty proud of it. This is the only time I have written Dead Poets Society, and probably the only time I will, because I threw absolutely everything I had to say about it into this one story. (It was also the most popular thing I had on AO3 by a long shot, until I started writing in MDZS/Untamed fandom which is a lot more active.) There were actually two things I wanted to write – one about Todd and Neil, and one about Todd in the aftermath of what happens – and then some part of my brain was like JUST DO BOTH AT ONCE and the structure ended up working out pretty well.

(CW for suicidal thoughts in this one, outside the canonical)

Apo Koinou (Dead Poets Society, Neil/Todd)
Rated T

‘They've all retired for the night, or at least scattered. Jeffrey's gone to phone his girlfriend in Boston, his parents have gone to their room to read. Todd sits alone on the living room floor in his pyjamas and bathrobe, knees pulled up to his chest, watching the twinkling coloured lights on the Christmas tree. He lets his eyes unfocus slowly, and the lights become blurry, dancing flickers of colour, shifting at the edges of his vision.’

Song: River, Joni Mitchell

Fic rec: Renovation by EdosianOrchids901 (Good Omens, G)

This is a tiny wee drabble, but so sweet: Aziraphale presents Crowley with a Christmas tree. Crowley pretends (tries?) to hate it.

Back to Day 9 | On to Day 11

musesfool

I managed to get into bed by 11 last night, and my alarm went off at 7:20 and I hit snooze a couple of extra times, but I was up and ready to go by 8, which was the goal. It turned out that they only turned the water off in one set of apartments, so at least I didn't have to deal with that! (After the Big Leak of January 2023, I believe one of the "upgrades" was the ability to do this so they don't have to turn the water off for everyone every time, though I could have that wrong.)

Chocolate, mocha, and red velvet (mini) cupcakes are done! I got 80 of the chocolate and the red velvet using the smaller scoop, which is typical of my experience (though one of the chocolate ones got messed up when I put the pan in the oven, so I technically only have 79 cupcakes), and I got 92 of the mocha (usually also 80, though I guess I used the bigger scoop before?), but 2 exploded - a phenomenon I had not seen except on vanilla cupcakes before - so I have 90 usable ones of those. Then I stopped to have dinner and run the dishwasher and take the garbage out, and it was hard to get back in the kitchen then, but I did it. I made mocha Swiss meringue buttercream, and as frequently happens, it curdled when i added the flavoring, so I had to melt it, wait for it to cool down (about 12 minutes) and start whipping it again, which worked, thankfully. Then I made an outlandish amount of vanilla American buttercream for the funfetti cupcakes I will bake tomorrow, since that is what the boys prefer, but I find it grossly sweet.

I used up enough butter and eggs today that I had space for the containers of frosting, which is good. I still need to empty and reload the dishwasher, take a shower, and then run the dishwasher again so it's done for the next round. I mean, I have 4 bowls for my KitchenAid, and multiples of each type of attachment (e.g., beater, whisk, dough hook, etc.) but it's best to start the day with everything clean, just for my own peace of mind, though of course on Wednesday, the sink will be full of dirty things since I generally don't have time to empty and reload the dishwasher on Christmas Eve morning, what with all the piping and frosting and packing to go. We'll see what happens this year, since I don't have to leave as early as in past years, since we don't have an early reservation, but I still don't want to push it too late so I can avoid the worst of the traffic. We'll see how it goes.

***

( 6-day plan, day 4 )

***

My Everchanging Moods tired
Now That's What I Call... Niners vs Colts on tv

lexin

I had a Tesco delivery last Friday. No problem.

I forgot that I’d booked one for yesterday by mistake and then forgot to cancel it. So we got a load more food. I’m sure

aunty_marion and I will manage to eat most of it. At least, we can hope.

Cat news

Geraint is beginning to settle in, he hasn’t yet bitten Marion. And we’re managing to train him to be a bit less hit-and-miss with his litter tray. He’s also beginning to get on with Opal. So, progress.

Edited to add: we have discovered that Geraint is deaf.

Cool Places Bangor
Oblivious https://lexin.insanejournal.com/332181.html

fox

We're halfway through the dark.

rionaleonhart

My household is celebrating House Christmas today, before most of us visit our respective families for Official Christmas, so it's time for the annual bad Christmas manip!

The James image I used as a base is a still from one of these gorgeous GIFs made by

stdismas! James is extremely pretty here. Possibly slightly less pretty once I've badly drawn a Father Christmas outfit onto him, but these are the sacrifices we must make in the festive season.

Merry Christmas, if you're celebrating! May you have a better time than James Sunderland. (I don't know exactly how James spends Christmas, but I feel there's a solid chance he spends it just like every other day: having an absolute psychological breakdown.)

ashkitty

It is now Will Stanton’s birthday, which means I had to save a Dark is Rising offering for it. Gonna be up front here – I love this story. I loved the experience of writing it (which started on a delayed train home, staring out the window), and my own connection to it. It is a long, rambling love-letter to my adopted home and perennial OTP.

There was actually meant to be at least one sequel, but I’ve still not finished it, so now I have the entire future of this version of these characters in my head. (Will ends up getting a job in Aberystwyth, so he can live with Bran – part of the difficulty there is the awkwardness about what RL people to include and how to get around that, but oh well. The next part was less complicated; it was Bran visiting Will in Oxford for Valentine’s day. There was rugby.) Anyway, enjoy.

In the Bleak Midwinter (TDIR, Bran/Will)
Rated M

‘He set aside the pile of undergraduate essays he'd been marking, leaning against the window to stare out of it for a while, watching Wales unfold welcoming before him. At least, he mused, that was how it felt – like the prodigal son returning to his father's fold. It was different from going home, where he could feel the fields of Buckinghamshire folding around him whenever he went back to see his parents, but it was similar, too. I know you, the land seemed to say. I remember you. You belong here.’

Song: In the Bleak Midwinter, a Carols from King's version for our choir boy (though Let It Snow might work too, of course!)

Fic rec:forever can never be long enough for me by isshun (modern wangxian)
Rated T

A Dongzhi fic for solstice. WWX takes LWJ along to his family celebrations, where LWJ and JYL bond over making him food. It's a bit soppy and very sweet, which is just what the longest night of the year needs.

Back to Day 8 | On to Day 10

musesfool

Stayed up too late last night and got a late start this morning, so I am already behind on my plan. But I will try to go to bed earlier tonight and get up earlier tomorrow to get back on track. Unfortunately, there is another planned water shut-off for plumbing repairs from 9 am - 12 pm, so I'll have to make sure to make the coffee required for both the chocolate and the mocha cupcakes ahead of time (it has to be room temp anyway), as well as making sure I have an extra bowl for handwashing.

I did get all the fig cookies made and packed into the cute cookie tins I bought so I'm not always giving away my ziploc containers (they are useful and they changed the shape so I can't get any more of the ones I really like), and the pork buns as well (pics) but I didn't eat dinner until after 7 pm and now the dishwasher is running, so I'm done for the night.

oh, I wanted to note that this year, I bought some fancy holiday/red-and-green sprinkles from KAB for the cookies - normally I just use multicolor nonpareils, but these look kind of festive, I thought. I also got red/green sprinkles for the funfetti cupcakes so I will be very on-theme.

***

( 6-day plan, day 3 )

***

My Everchanging Moods tired
Now That's What I Call... switching btwn Ravens vs Pats / Rangers vs Preds

fox

My dad (R) would have been 78 today. ❤️

ashkitty

One more Trek fic for the road? (There’s one more still to come, but I’ve tried to put a little more space between them now!) This one takes place after Into Darkness, which was a pretty awful movie with one single redeeming feature: it basically only makes sense if Kirk and Spock are desperately in love.

Anyway, after the events of that film, Spock wants to check on Kirk’s recovery process and ends up getting a bit more explanation than he expected.

The Ghost of Christmas Past

‘Jim's face was as warm as his hands, and his pulse beat solidly beneath Spock's fingertips. He blinked slowly, and Spock's vision blurred as he was pulled into the depths of Jim Kirk's memory. He could tell that Jim, despite having no expertise in mind-melds, was trying desperately to keep the chaos of his mind in order, and push to the forefront the things that had to with the other Spock. But there was a sense as well, beneath the solidness of memory, that he was offering so much more.’

A song to go with it: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan)
About a million years ago, Barenaked Ladies were (one of?) the first band(s) I ever saw live in concert, mostly because they were opening for the Violent Femmes. Teenage!me queued up for a free show at a Seattle festival for hours and it was so worth it.

A fic rec: The Maine Thing (Is That You Send a Card) (wangxian modern au) by Comfect
Look, I binged a lot of Christmas fics last year, and this is one I remember enjoying. It's a Hallmark-inspired wangxian fic. but unlike actual Hallmark movies, the characterisation is top-notch. And wangxian, so the pining is of course delicious.

Back to Day 7 | On to Day 9

matsushima posting in

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fanmix_monthly: all fandoms, optional prompts

fanmix_monthly is a new fanmix community on Dreamwidth!

Posting is now open. Optional prompts will start in January 2026.

My Everchanging Moods hopeful

musesfool

So I may have been a little...over ambitious in purchasing eggs and butter and expecting it all to fit into my tiny apartment-size fridge. I did get all of it in there, but there was literally no room to let orange rolls rise overnight so I knocked that off the list. Maybe I will do them for New Year's morning instead.

I also had an unfortunate start to the fig cookies. I made the filling yesterday and I might have put too much cocoa in as I thought it was the bottom of the container so I just dumped it in and well, there was more than I expected in there. *hands* It's fine. Then when I made the dough earlier, it smelled weird. I think maybe the Crisco had gone off? Idk, but I threw out what I'd made and did it again with the newly opened can of Crisco and it smelled correct, so I didn't really get to make cookies this afternoon as planned, but I might make some after dinner, which is how we did it when I was a kid - every night for the 2 weeks before Christmas we were in the kitchen making fig cookies.

I did marinate the pork country ribs last night and they are now in the oven roasting, so that at least is on track.

I also watched Wake Up Dead Man yesterday, and I liked but didn't love it? I'm not sure why? ( spoilers )

This is a long essay about the movie (spoilers, obvs) that goes much deeper into it: Entirely Too Many Thoughts About Wake Up Dead Man by Leah Schnelbach.

Oh, the timer just went off so I have to take the ribs out of the oven, so I guess I'll just hit post!

***

( 6-day plan, day 2 )

***

My Everchanging Moods busy
Now That's What I Call... Eagles vs Commanders on tv

pegkerr

This past weekend was our seventeenth annual cookie baking. We were baking for nine households, and after so many years, we have the whole process down to a well-oiled machine. Each of us brought two batches of cookies, one already baked and the other baked that day at my sister's house.

As it was December 13, Santa Lucia Day, I also brought lussekatter, for us to have with our coffee as we baked. We spread the cookies out on a long table in my sister's living room. By taking up columns of cookies, we each had a nice mix.

M came along with Alona and Fiona, to the joy of all. Her first cookie baking!

Description: Background: a table covered with rows of Christmas cookies: bottom: a group of women smile at the camera. Top: three lussekatter

Celebrations

50 Celebrations

Click on the links to see the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.

ashkitty

So I got on a plane this morning and saw my parents and then took my mom to the hospital AGAIN because the dialysis catheter keeps jiggling itself loose or whatever, so it's been a long day. But you know what's not long? Today's fic!

Even shorter than some of the others, this treat is TINY! Also not technically Christmas, because the Dragon Age universe doesn’t have Christmas. They do have Satinalia, which also involves giving presents and some medieval-Christmas-ish traditions, so I have decided that’s close enough.

Dragon Age Calendar 2023: An Appreciative Audience. Varric tells stories. It’s too short to say more.

‘Varric coughs pointedly. “If none of you want to hear this….” A chorus of apologies, as if anyone could stop Varric telling a story once he’s started. There’s a bite in the crisp Satinalia air, beneath the bonfire-scent of autumn, and lazy sparks float from the crackling fire like tiny stars. There are toasts and gifts and ghost stories, and laughter echoing across the hazy hillside.’

A song:I did actually manage to find a Christmas song about a dragon, but it was incredibly cheesy, so you're getting Six White Boomers instead.

And a rec for the road! hurry down my chimney tonight by gusuvibes. (Untamed AU, wangxian)
Rated T

NHS convinces JC and WWX to work as Santa's Elves for the local mall's Christmas grotto. LWJ brings his adorable child A-Yuan to see Santa. You see where things are going.

Back to Day 6 | On to Day 8

twistedchick

Re renaming the Kennedy Center: Is a decision unanimous if a board member isn't allowed to dissent?

yuletide_admin_feed

Posted by morbane

https://yuletide-admin.livejournal.com/300629.html

There's a new post up on the Yuletide Admin comm regarding Reveals approaching! Help us get there!. Please note that there may have been a delay between that post and this crosspost.

You can go through to DW to check the details:

Dreamwidth Post

If you have follow-up questions, they can be asked in the DW comment section using a DW login, OpenID with another login, or a signed anonymous comment.

https://yuletide-admin.livejournal.com/300629.html

ashkitty

We are halfway through! And we’re going back to Oxford. This is maybe cheating a little – the story itself was written for Yuletide, and is dated the 6th of December, but there isn’t anything especially Christmassy in it.

In 2075, OUP publishes a festschrift (this is, for non-academic types, a book of essays honouring a particular distinguished scholar) celebrating the world of James Dunworthy. It is edited by Colin, now a fellow of Balliol himself, who writes the introduction to the volume and the various things in it. It’s one of my favourite Yuletide experiences – something about the connections of people through history, and the value of good teaching, really hit people (including me, unexpectedly, while writing it). So here is:

Paradox (Oxford Time Travel, gen)
Rated G

‘It is traditional to begin this sort of project with a biography of the person to whom it is being presented, and following that, to list the contributed articles and how the author and outcome of each was started on its path by the eminent scholar being celebrated within the pages. In this case, it seems both unnecessary and redundant, as the essays themselves have become more retrospective than tribute.’

Song: Stop the Cavalry (there IS in fact a Christmas song for time travellers!), version by the Cory Band and the Gwalia Singers

Fic rec: Once and Future by phoenixflight (The Dark is Rising, Will/Bran)
Rated T

Christmas is still a good Dark is RIsing time, and this little treat is full of great lines (Bran's reaction to Will getting a bit melancholy about eventually losing him is brilliant) and, like all the best TDIR fics, evokes a strong sense of place and atmosphere.

Back to Day 5 | On to Day 7

musesfool

I am officially on vacation - I don't have to go back to work until January 5th! Now the bakepocalypse can begin! I've made more work for myself, but I think it will all work out - I've been planning it in my head, and this is how it goes (please take "run dishwasher" as a given at least once and probably twice each day):

( 6-day plan )

I think adding in the roast pork and the pork buns and the orange cranberry rolls might be kind of nuts? But also having that food on hand will let me eat breakfast/dinner without having to do any real cooking or ordering in. (I will also have some ham and cheese to make sandwiches if it comes to that, and some granola bars for snacks/breakfast if the orange cranberry rolls don't happen.) And I think I do have time before the cupcake baking begins in earnest.

What I'm considering now is whether I should make the frostings and immediately put them in piping bags (with specific tips in) for storing in the fridge instead of trying to do the transfers all at once on Christmas Eve morning the way I usually do. Filling the bags and then keeping them in tupperware might be easier? But I've also found that sometimes my "time-saving" plans end up making things worse, so idk.

Anyway, that's my plan for the next 6 or so days! It's a good thing I enjoy cooking. *g*

*

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